Sargento responds after some products mistakenly included in recall news

Update – Friday, March 8:

As the FDA continues to add affected products to the warning on a decades-long Listeria outbreak, one major cheese manufacturer is setting the record straight about their household-name products.

Sargento Foods shared a news release on Thursday, March 7, to address reports that their products were folded into the massive FDA recall, stating that “the Wisconsin-based company has confirmed that Sargento Branded Product is not affected.” The 71-year-old brand stated it learned of the “inaccurate news circulating” on Thursday. 

“This news stemmed from California-based Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc.’s recall on February 5 of its Cotija cheese due to a related listeria outbreak. Sargento immediately investigated the situation last month and determined that the recall impacted a limited amount of its Food Service and Ingredients products. This recall did not impact Sargento-branded products,” the release says.

The release continues to state that “out of an abundance of caution, Sargento immediately made the decision to voluntarily recall the products that were supplied by Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. and products that were packaged on the same lines. Sargento also terminated its relationship with Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. and immediately notified its affected business customers.”

Original article on February 9: The Food and Drug Administration announced a long list of recalls on dairy products containing queso fresco and cotija cheeses that are part of a multi-year, multi-state Listeria outbreak. The FDA shared the list of recalled products, which include items at H-E-B, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other stores on Monday, February 5, but has continued to expand the list throughout the week. The H-E-B products were officially recalled on Wednesday, February 7. 

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report their investigation into the Listeria monocytogenes infections include illnesses dating back to 2014, 2017, and 2021. The queso fresco and cotija cheeses were manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc., of Modesto, California. The report says that “epidemiologic evidence in previous investigations identified queso fresco and other similar cheeses as a potential source of the outbreak,” but the agencies were not able to pinpoint the brand potentially causing the outbreak until January 2024. 

Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. has voluntarily recalled all sell by dates of its dairy products, according to the FDA. The 69 recalled products include:

• H-E-B’s Poblano Caesar Dressing in 12 oz. bottles that have a sell or use by date between January 14 to March 30, 2024. 
• H-E-B’S Cilantro Cotija Dressing in 12 oz. bottles that have a sell or use by date between January 14 to March 30, 2024.  
• Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde in 17.6 oz. No sell or use by dates were provided. 
• Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing in 12 oz with the sell or use by date of February 19 to May 14, 2024. 
• Trader Joe’s Cilantro Salad Dressing in 12 oz. No sell or use by dates were provided. 
• Trader Joe’s Elote Chopped Salad Kit in 11.94 oz. No sell or use by dates were provided. 
• Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad in 9 oz packaging. No sell or use by dates were provided. 
• 365 Whole Foods Market’s Ricotta Part Skim in 15 oz. packaging for all dates through April 2, 2024. 
• 365 Whole Foods Market’s Ricotta Whole Milk in 15 oz. packaging for all dates through April 2, 2024. 

The FDA reports there have been 26 total reported illnesses, with 23 hospitalizations, and two deaths across at least 11 states. The H-E-B dressing is made by Fresh Creative Foods — a division of Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. — which noted in the voluntary recall that none of its products have had consumer complaints as of February 7. 

MySA reached to H-E-B for comment. Whole Foods told MySA in a statement that customers can bring their receipt to the store for a full refund. Whole Foods customer service can be contacted at 1-844-936-8255. 

Trader Joe said in a statement to MySA that there have been no reported illnesses related to their products, and that customers should discard or return the affected products to the store for a full refund. Customers can reach out to customer relations at (626)-599-3817, which is available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.  PST.