Multiple Dairy Products Recalled Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

Multiple Retailers Including Costco and Trader Joe’s Recalling Dairy Products From Rizo-López Foods Inc After Multistate Listeria Outbreak

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (February 13, 2024) – Several retailers including Costco and Trader Joe’s have recalled dairy products from Rizo-López Foods Inc due to possible Listeria contamination.

The recall comes on the heels of a multi-state listeria outbreak that left two dead and dozens hospitalized. Numerous products have been included in the recall including yogurt, sour cream, cheese, salad dressings and salad kits.

What follows below is a full list of the recalled items as outlined by CNN.

• Sprouts Farmers Market: No Brand Chicken Street Taco Kit
• SaveMart: Chicken Street Taco Kit
• The Perfect Bite Co: Mexican Style Street Corn Bites
• Stater Bros: Chicken Street Taco Kit
• Fresh Express: Fresh Express Salsa! Ensalada Kit, Marketside Southwest Chopped Salad Kit
• Albertsons, Safeway, Eagle, Carrs-Safeway, Pavilions, Vons, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, Lucky: Chicken Taco Kits and Meals
• Dole, Marketside, President’s Choice: Salad kits
• Fresh and Ready, Sprig and Sprout, Jack and Olive: Torta sandwiches
• Marketside: Bacon Ranch Crunch Salad Kit
• Marketside: Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
• Bright Farms: Bright Farms Southwest Chipotle Crunch Kit salad kit
• Trader Joe’s: Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing, Elote Chopped Salad Kit, Southwest Salad
• Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro: Southwest Chopped Salad Kit, Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit, Fresh Mex Chopped Kit, Queso Crunch Salad Kit
• Rojo’s: Black Bean 6 Layer Dip
• Don Pancho, HEB, Trader Joe’s: Cilantro Lime Crema, Everything Sauce Fiesta, Cilantro Cotija dressing, Poblano Caesar dressing, Cilantro Dressing, Street Taco Express Meal Kit

There are ongoing fears that the scope of the outbreak is greater than what has currently been reported. If you believe that you have purchased any of the recalled products, it is important that you clean your refrigerator and any surfaces that came in contact with the contaminated food.

Liability For Foodborne Illnesses

Foodborne outbreaks are fare more than many people may realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Each year, 31 pathogens caused 9.4 million episodes of foodborne illness, resulting in 55,961 hospitalizations and 1,351 deaths.” An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year and about 260 of those people die. There are a number of common reasons that listeria outbreaks take place.

• Foods may be improperly stored. Failing to store foods below 40 Fahrenheit can cause listeria to grow.
• Cross contamination of poultry and utensils can transfer listeria.
• When meats are not cooked to a safe internal temperature, this could lead to the spread of listeria.
• Listeria outbreaks can occur when food storage areas are not cleaned properly.
• An outbreak can also occur when fruits and vegetables are washed with contaminated water.

Depending on the facts of any case, there could be numerous sources of liability for any listeria outbreak. Food producers and manufacturers can be liable if they failed to prevent contamination from taking place. There are nearly always food safety violations involved in any listeria outbreak. Food retailers or distributors could also be liable if they were aware of the contamination and failed to take appropriate action. It is important that certain steps are taken after any listeria outbreak.

• Evidence related to the contaminated products should be preserved.
• Photos should be taken.
• Medical records should be preserved.
• An experienced personal injury attorney should be contacted.

It can be hard to know where to begin after any foodborne illness. To make matters worse, companies will often do everything that they can to deny liability if someone becomes ill after eating their products. It is important for victims of foodborne illnesses to understand that they do have rights. They may be able to seek damages through a civil claim. A personal injury attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.

Getting Legal Help After Listeria Outbreaks

We at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. extend our best wishes to all of the people harmed by the Rizo-López Foods Inc listeria outbreak. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other instances like this. 

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a listeria outbreak? Our team of personal injury attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (516) 908-9792.