A federal court docket has entered into a consent decree with Rizo Lopez Meals Inc. regarding a deadly Listeria outbreak traced to its cheeses.
The U.S. District Court docket for the Jap District of California entered a everlasting injunction in opposition to the company, prohibiting it from manufacturing and selling plod food products until it complies with federal regulations.
The consent decree comes after the Meals and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated a multi-twelve months, multi-explain outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections within the waste traced to queso fresco and cotija cheeses manufactured by Rizo Lopez Meals of Modesto, CA.
In total, the CDC outbreak investigation identified 26 patients who like been unfold all the plot by 11 states and included 23 hospitalizations. Two of the patients died. Four individuals like been pregnant, including one who suffered a being pregnant loss.
In January this twelve months, the Hawaii Notify Division of Well being’s Meals and Drug Division mild a retail sample of the defendants’ Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese, and the sample tested constructive for Listeria monocytogenes. Total-genome sequencing of the pathogen within the cheese sample matched old medical ailments identified by the CDC. The FDA inspected the Rizo Lopez facility from January to February 2024, and the FDA therefore identified the identical strain of Listeria monocytogenes within the power’s atmosphere.
In February 2024, Rizo Lopez Meals voluntarily recalled its entire inventory of dairy products, no topic their promote-by dates.
“Producers of fresco-form cheeses are responsible for producing safe food and complying with food security criminal guidelines and regulations. By this wretched outbreak, we peep what can occur when a company fails to meet their factual tasks,” acknowledged FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Meals Jim Jones.
The consent decree prohibits Rizo Lopez Meals, Edwin Rizo, and Tomas Rizo, and any individuals or entities in energetic live efficiency or participation with them who catch ogle of the decree from straight or sooner or later manufacturing, making ready, processing, packing, repacking, receiving, labeling, keeping, and/or distributing any product, excluding for pre-packaged food, at or from their companies and products until and until notify necessities are met to be plod they are working in compliance with the FD&C Act, the FDA’s regulations, and the decree. The consent decree requires the defendants to catch corrective actions and catch FDA approval earlier than they can also resume operations.
Listeria monocytogenes is a species of disease-causing micro organism. When folks expend food toddle along with it, they can also fabricate a disease referred to as listeriosis. This infection can like serious negative effects on customers, particularly females who are or can also develop into pregnant, the elderly, and folks with weakened immune programs. Complications from the disease can consist of pneumonia, central anxious system injury, endocarditis, localized abscesses, pores and skin lesions, conjunctivitis and loss of life.
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