Trader Joe’s Just Recalled Four Popular Cheese Items for Listeria Outbreak
If you’ve been up on the news recently, you have likely heard about the nationwide dairy recall, particularly from the California-based company, Rizo-López Foods. The brand recalled a number of its cheeses, yogurts, and sour creams due to a Listeria outbreak, with 26 cases including two deaths. You can read up on the full list of recalled products in the brand’s recent press release.
The latest store to experience recalls is none other than Trader Joe’s. In relation to the dairy recall, the grocer has pulled Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing, Elote Chopped Salad Kit, and Southwest Salad from the shelves, all which contain cotija cheese from Rizo-López Foods. Considering that they may contain Listeria, it’s recommended that if you have any of these products in your fridge, you should discard them immediately or return them to Trader Joe’s for a full refund.
Listeria is a type of bacteria that is commonly found contaminating many types of foods and is one of the more detrimental foodborne illnesses. It mostly impacts those who are pregnant, people with weakened immune systems, and the elderly, causing flu-like symptoms, fever, or intestinal illness.
While the outbreak stems from California, the products have been distributed all over the United States, with reports of sickened individuals in Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas.
“With more than five decades of experience working directly with the producers of our products, we stand by our proactive practices and continually improve our food safety processes,” Trader Joe’s writes on their website. “We take these matters seriously — personally, even, as our families eat and drink TJ’s products, too.” If you have any questions about the outbreak or contaminated products, you can email Trader Joe’s through their website or give them a call at (626) 599-3817 Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.
