Cheese Recall Update as FDA Sets Highest Risk Level

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified a previous food recall from Productos La Hacienda, a Texas-based company as Class I, its most severe level.

The Edinburg-headquartered company initiated a voluntary recall of some of its cheese products—Queso Rico La Hacienda, El Queso Fresco De Veracruz and El Queso Rico ‘La Hacienda’ packaged in 9 oz, 1 pound and 2 pound plastic packages—on June 3 over possible contamination with a dangerous bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes.

The presence of these pathogenic bacteria was found in a product having an expiration date of June 2, 2024, according to the FDA. The firm has begun removing all of its queso fresco products with all dates and sizes from their customers’ shelves, the agency wrote.

The queso fresco products had been distributed to 80 retail stores in three Texas counties in the Rio Grande Valley, Cameron County, Hidalgo County, and Starr County. The recall affected 640 pounds of cheese in total.

While the recall was initiated last month, the FDA only identified the recall on Tuesday, July 9, as a Class I recall. This is the most severe type of recall issued by the agency, used when the consumption or exposure to the affected product can cause “serious adverse health consequences or death.”

Newsweek contacted the FDA for comment by email early on Wednesday morning.

A Class II recall indicates that the consumption of the recalled product can cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” In case of a Class II recall, the probability of suffering serious adverse health consequences “is remote,” the FDA states. A Class III recall is given when consumption or exposure to the recalled product is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.

Productos La Hacienda has not issued a press release for this food recall, which is ongoing, according to the FDA. There is no report of any adverse health consequences reported by consumers who might have eaten the queso products.

When people eat food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, they can contract a disease called listeriosis, which can last from days to several weeks, according to the FDA. While mild symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, more severe symptoms may present themselves in the form of headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and even convulsions.

The disease can be fatal for very young children and the elderly, as well as the immunocompromised and individuals with chronic diseases. It can also be dangerous for pregnant women, leading to miscarriage and stillbirth.

Symptoms of the disease normally appear within a few hours of consuming a contaminated product or two or three days after eating the contaminated food.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and around 260 die.