If you bought fresh soft cheese — requesón, cottage cheese, or similar varieties — at a Latin-market grocery in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia this spring, stop consuming it and check the expiration date [1].

As this paper reported Monday, La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. recalled products sold under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinos labels after FDA traced the contamination to the facility's source dairy, Clover Hill Dairy. Tuesday's update adds the full scope of the repackager problem: Clover Hill sold bulk product in five-gallon and two-gallon buckets to La Ceiba, which relabeled and distributed it under seven brand names including KESSO, Quesos La Ricura, Izalco, De Mi Pueblo, and Rio Lindo [1]. Products bearing any of those names with a July 10, 2026 expiration date should not be eaten [1].

The CDC has confirmed 12 illnesses linked to the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes across four states, with 10 hospitalizations and one death [3]. The investigation remains active; FDA has indicated additional products may be affected [2].

Listeria poses the greatest risk to pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems. Onset can take up to 70 days after exposure. If you consumed any of the recalled products and are in a high-risk category, contact your physician.

-- NORA WHITFIELD, Chicago