Rizo-Lopez Foods Listeria Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc., a Modesto, California cheesemaker, faces allegations tied to a Listeria outbreak. CDC and FDA traced the outbreak to its queso fresco and cotija cheese. It sickened people for nearly a decade before the 2024 recall. Twenty-six people across 11 states were infected between 2014 and 2023. Two died. No lawsuit or class action against Rizo-Lopez Foods has been filed or found. Schmidt & Clark is investigating product-liability and wrongful-death claims for people sickened by its cheese, yogurt and sour cream. Rizo-Lopez Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025. It later reached a March 2026 asset-sale agreement instead of liquidation.

Latest Rizo-Lopez Foods Listeria Lawsuit Updates

March 9, 2026: Rizo-Lopez Foods Reaches Asset-Sale Agreement

Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. told a California bankruptcy judge it had reached an agreement to sell company assets. This again pushed back its own Chapter 7 conversion motion. The delay points to progress toward the sale instead of liquidation. The Chapter 11 case Rizo-Lopez Foods opened in September 2025 remains open today.

November 26, 2025: Chapter 7 Conversion Hearing Pushed to December 18

Rizo-Lopez Foods pushed back its own bid to move the case into Chapter 7 liquidation. The hearing moved to December 18. The company cited progress made since it filed the motion a month earlier. The case stayed pending in the same U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California as sale talks went on.

October 27, 2025: Rizo-Lopez Foods Files Motion to Convert Case to Chapter 7

Rizo-Lopez Foods filed its own motion asking the bankruptcy court to convert the case. It sought a switch from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 liquidation. The motion sat on a continued calendar as of a January 14, 2026 hearing. No ruling had come yet. The same docket later recorded the March 2026 sale deal.

September 15, 2025: Rizo-Lopez Foods Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition. The case went to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division. The case, No. 25-25004, went to Judge Christopher M. Klein. The filing followed the company’s February 2024 recall and its later consent decree. It paused most creditor collection efforts.

October 8, 2024: Federal Court Enters Consent Decree Against Rizo-Lopez Foods

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California entered a consent decree against Rizo-Lopez Foods and co-owners Edwin Rizo and Tomas Rizo, the FDA said. The order bars them from making or selling food again until they meet FDA requirements and get FDA sign-off to restart.

February 12, 2024: Recall Expands to Products Made with Rizo-Lopez Cheese

The recall grew to cover more items made with Rizo-Lopez cheese. These included salad kits, dressings and sandwiches sold by Trader Joe’s, Costco and other stores. The wider list covered any item made with the cheese, beyond cheese sold under its own name. This came one week after the first recall, adding more store chains.

February 6, 2024: CDC Reports 26 Infected, 23 Hospitalized, 2 Deaths

CDC and FDA reopened the case. CDC counted 26 people sick with the outbreak strain in 11 states, with illness onset from June 15, 2014 to December 10, 2023. Two people died, one in California and one in Texas. The full hospitalization and pregnancy figures appear under Reported Injuries or Damages.

February 5, 2024: Rizo-Lopez Foods Recalls Its Full Dairy Product Inventory

Rizo-Lopez Foods recalled its full dairy stock nationwide, no matter the sell-by date. It also stopped making and shipping its cheese, yogurt and sour cream for a time. The recall followed an earlier, single-batch recall on January 11, 2024. That recall covered Rizo Bros Aged Cotija cheese after a Hawaii sample tested positive for the outbreak strain.

What Is Listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can contaminate food, CDC says [1]. It causes an infection called listeriosis. There are two forms: invasive and intestinal. This page covers claims tied to a nationwide outbreak. CDC traced it to Rizo-Lopez Foods cheese. Infants, older adults, pregnant people and those with weak immune systems face the highest risk.

Who May Be Affected?

People who ate Rizo-Lopez Foods queso fresco, cotija cheese, yogurt or sour cream before February 2024 may be affected. This includes the Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros and other recalled brand names. A lab-confirmed Listeria diagnosis from that time is the key fact a review looks for. Illness onset dates in the outbreak ranged from 2014 to 2023. Pregnant people, infants, adults 65 and older, and anyone with a weak immune system are most likely to get severe illness [2]. Because of the company’s ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a claim against it would likely go through the case’s own claims process instead of a new lawsuit filed directly against the company. Whether a specific case qualifies takes an individual legal review, and so does how the ongoing bankruptcy changes it for a given claimant.

Reported Injuries or Damages

CDC’s outbreak team counted 26 people who tested positive for the outbreak strain of Listeria across 11 states [3]. Illness onset dates ran from June 2014 to December 2023. Of the 26, 23 with data on file went to the hospital. The outbreak was linked to two deaths, one in California and one in Texas. Two of the 26 people were sick during pregnancy, one of them with a pregnancy loss, and two newborns are also in the case count. CDC and FDA used genetic testing to trace the outbreak. A January 2024 Hawaii sample of Rizo-Lopez cotija cheese matched the outbreak strain. FDA’s own testing then found the same strain inside the Modesto plant. That pointed to the plant as the likely source. These CDC figures describe the outbreak as a whole. They are not proof of cause in any single claim. A lawsuit would need its own medical proof.

Recall and Regulatory Background

Rizo-Lopez Foods pulled its full dairy line nationwide on February 5, 2024. Listeria contamination had been confirmed in its products. A federal consent decree came on October 8, 2024. It bars the company from making food again until it meets FDA rules and gets FDA sign-off. FDA’s full list of recalled brands and products is public [4]. See the Listeria recall and lawsuit page for full recall details, including every affected product, sale location and consumer step.

Evidence to Preserve

Anyone who was sickened after eating a recalled Rizo-Lopez Foods cheese, yogurt or sour cream product should keep the following records and materials:

• Product packaging, UPC codes, or lot and date codes from any recalled Rizo-Lopez Foods, Tio Francisco, Don Francisco or Rizo Bros product
• Purchase receipts or store loyalty records showing when and where the product was bought
• Photographs of the product, its packaging, expiration date, and any symptoms you experienced
• Medical records and lab test results confirming a Listeria monocytogenes diagnosis or treatment
• Communications with a retailer, a doctor, or Rizo-Lopez Foods about the illness
• Employment or income records showing missed work if the illness caused hospitalization
• Any notice received from the bankruptcy case’s claims agent, Donlin, Recano & Company

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines for a Listeria claim come from state law. They vary by where a person lives and when the illness and its diagnosis happened. Some states start the clock at diagnosis instead of at exposure. Rizo-Lopez Foods is in bankruptcy, so a separate bankruptcy claims deadline may also apply. Missing a deadline can end a claim, even a strong one. Anyone who got sick should talk to a lawyer soon.

Potential Compensation

A viable claim against Rizo-Lopez Foods would typically seek medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. A wrongful-death claim could add its own damages. Because of that bankruptcy case, any potential compensation would be capped by the funds its claims process makes available, rather than set by a court judgment. Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. A free case review from Schmidt & Clark can help explain what potential compensation options may apply to a specific claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are common questions people ask about Potential compensation, the ongoing bankruptcy case, and the Rizo-Lopez Foods Listeria lawsuit process in general.

What Foods Were Recalled by Rizo-Lopez Foods?

Rizo-Lopez Foods recalled its cheese, yogurt and sour cream lines. Brand names include Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City and several others, per FDA’s full product list.

Where Was Rizo-Lopez Foods Cheese Sold?

Rizo-Lopez Foods cheese and other dairy items were sold nationwide. This included Albertsons, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market and Stater Bros, plus delis and distributors that used the company’s dairy as an ingredient.

Who Represents Rizo-Lopez Foods in Its Bankruptcy Case?

McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth LLP represents Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. as debtor’s counsel in the Chapter 11 case, court records show. That is separate from Donlin, Recano & Company, the case’s claims and noticing agent that handles proof-of-claim filings from creditors.

What Other Brand Names Were Included in the Rizo-Lopez Foods Recall?

Other brand names included in the Rizo-Lopez Foods recall are El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas and store-brand 365 Whole Foods Market cheese, FDA’s product list shows.

How Do I File a Claim Against Rizo-Lopez Foods After Its Bankruptcy?

Filing a claim against Rizo-Lopez Foods after its Chapter 11 bankruptcy is still possible: it generally means submitting a proof of claim rather than a new civil lawsuit, through Donlin, Recano & Company, the case’s claims agent, reachable toll-free at 1-877-534-8325.

What Does the Research Say About the Rizo-Lopez Foods Listeria Outbreak?

Research on the Rizo-Lopez Foods Listeria outbreak used whole genome sequencing, a DNA-based method that linked the outbreak strain in a Hawaii retail sample of Rizo-Lopez cheese to the same strain later found inside the company’s Modesto, California plant.

References

1. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/about/index.html
2. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/get-facts-about-listeria
3. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cheese-02-24/details.html
4. https://www.fda.gov/media/176015/download?attachment