Cheese Recall Could Affect Oklahoma Super Bowl Parties

If you're planning on making any dips for your Oklahoma Super Bowl party, you may want to double check your cheese. A listeria outbreak has recalled various brands of cheese.

It's not a Super Bowl party without dip! And some of the most delicious dips require cheese, and lots of it. And early this week, the Food and Drug Administration announced a recall on certain brands of cheese, and consumers are being warned about the deadly affects these cheeses could have.

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On Feb. 6, the Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of all dairy products distributed by Rizo Lopez Foods. This is due to an ongoing investigation of a listeria outbreak in these products. The recall includes all "Sell By" dates of cheese, yogurt and sour cream (crema) sold under the following 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
• 365 Whole Foods Market

Where were these items sold?

According to the Food and Drug Administration, these products were sold at various stores nationwide. If you have any of these products in your fridge, the Food and Drug Administration advises consumers to throw them away immediately, even if you can't tell if it's part of the recall.

What are the symptoms of listeria?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria is a foodborne bacterial illness; it's "a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes." It can affect anyone but "the infection is most likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems."

If you've consumed any of these products recently, according to the Food and Drug Administration, symptoms usually start after two weeks of consumption but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.

Mild symptoms may include a fever, muscle aches, nausea, tiredness, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Is listeria deadly?

According to an article from the New York Times about the recall, this listeria outbreak "has sickened 26 people in 11 states since 2014." Out of the 26 who were reported ill from outbreak, "23 were hospitalized and two died, according to the CDC, which began its investigation in 2017." The states that reported cases include Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

According to the CDC, listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States.

For more information, visit the Food and Drug Administration's website about the recall. If you have symptoms of listeria, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately.