- The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California has entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Rizo Lopez Foods and the company’s co-owners. 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) and other federal regulations. The consent decree requires the defendants to make corrective actions and receive FDA approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they may resume operations.
- As we previously reported, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated a multi-year, multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) infections linked to queso fresco and cotija cheeses manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods. In February 2024, Rizo Lopez Foods voluntarily recalled its entire inventory of dairy products, regardless of the sell-by date of the product.
- In total, the CDC outbreak investigation identified 26 illnesses, which occurred across 11 states and included 23 hospitalizations. Two of the individuals subsequently died. Four individuals were pregnant, including one who suffered a pregnancy loss.