Deadly listeria outbreak shuts down Modesto dairy plant

A major dairy producer in Modesto has been shut down after a deadly listeria outbreak.

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On Tuesday, an injunction against Modesto-based Rizo-López Foods factory and its co-owners, Edwin Rizo and Tomas Rizo, was approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District after an investigation into a listeria outbreak linked to cheeses made by the company, according to the FDA.

“Among other requirements, the consent decree prohibits Rizo Lopez Foods from manufacturing and selling certain food products until the company complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), federal regulations and other requirements,” FDA officials said in a news release .

Data from the CDC , which stems back to 2014, found that during the outbreak there were 26 cases, 23 hospitalizations, and two deaths. Eleven states were impacted, including California.

One person in California died in 2017 due to infection, according to CBS News .

In January 2024, the officials in Hawaii reported that a sample of the factory’s Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese tested positive for L. monocytogenes.

In February, the company voluntarily recalled “cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold under the brand names Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market.”

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