Several Dairy Products Recalled In Tennessee Amid Listeria Outbreak

Several dairy products sold nationwide, including in stores in Tennessee , have been recalled amid an ongoing outbreak of an illness with the potential to cause serious infections.

Rizo-López Foods, Inc. issued a voluntary recall of its dairy products on Monday (February 5) due to the possibility of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. According to a recall notice from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration , the company could be a source of a continued outbreak that poses the risk of serious illness.

The recall affects several dairy products — such as queso fresco and cotija cheese — sold at retail deli counters and in stores around the country, including "cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold under the brand names Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Hauche, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market."

Listeria monocytogenes is the bacteria that can cause listeria, or listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection that can cause severe illness in high-risk groups like children, the elderly, those who are pregnant and persons with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Healthy individuals may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Consumers who have purchased any of these products are encouraged to throw them out immediately and to not consumer them. For more information about the recall or to see photos of the affected products, visit fda.gov .