- Products include Chicken Enchiladas Verde and Cilantro Salad Dressing
- This came when Rizo-Lopez Foods recalled several dairy products earlier this week
- READ MORE: CDC warns of listeria outbreak in cheese sold at Whole Foods
Trader Joe's has recalled four Cotija cheese products that may be contaminated with listeria.
This came after the CDC warned Americans about a listeria outbreak linked to dairy products sold nationwide that killed two people.
Trader Joe's has recalled its Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing, Elote Chopped Salad Kit and Southwest Salad, all of which contain Cotija cheese.
The announcement is related to an FDA recall of Rizo-Lopez Foods' dairy products, including contaminated cheese, crema and yogurt. Rizo Lopez products are sold in a number of major supermarket chains, including Food City and Whole Foods.
Trader Joe's has recalled its Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing, Elote Chopped Salad Kit and Southwest Salad, all of which contain Cotija cheese
Americans from 11 states have become ill and two have died. The deaths occurred in California and Texas
The CDC said 26 Americans were sickened and 23 were hospitalized in 11 states. Two deaths were reported – one in California and one in Texas.
Trader Joe's advised customers to discard any recalled products or return them to a store for a full refund.
Listeria is an infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.
Most people who eat food contaminated with listeria do not become seriously ill. However, in some cases it can cause confusion and seizures, miscarriage in pregnant women and even death.
This can happen if the infection spreads beyond the intestines and can affect the central nervous system, causing numbness and seizures.
The CDC estimates that 1,600 Americans become infected with listeria each year and about 260 die from it.
Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
Earlier this week, the agency recalled 61 products, including cheese, yogurt and sour cream (crema), sold under 13 brand names – including 365 Whole Foods Market and Food City.
The items in question were sold between June 2014 and December 2023.
The agency urged people to throw away all affected products, clean refrigerators and surfaces and call a doctor immediately if symptoms occur.
The CDC collected surveys from people who suffered from nausea about the foods they ate within a month of becoming ill, although not all patients were surveyed. The agency says it is still conducting interviews.
Of the 22 patients surveyed, 16 – 73 percent – reported eating queso fresco, cotija or other similar cheeses.
The patients were between less than one year old and 88 years old, the average age was 52 years.
About 58 percent of those affected were women and 42 percent were men.
The majority of those affected (71 percent) were white. Five percent were American or Alaska Native, and 24 percent said they were of another race.
Additionally, 85 percent reported being of Hispanic descent.
Among those who recalled the specific brands, three who fell ill between 2014 and 2022 reported the Don Francisco brand of cheese.