A New Jersey cheese manufacturer, Abuelito cheese, admitted to introducing adulterated queso fresco into interstate commerce, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Abuelito Cheese Inc., a/k/a “El Abuelito Cheese,” a distributor of food products located in Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court to an Information charging the company with introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Abuelito manufactured food products, including soft, fresh cheese known as queso fresco, at its facility in New Jersey. It distributed products, including queso fresco, within New Jersey and to neighboring states. In February 2020, the FDA inspected Abuelito’s facility and alerted the company to the presence of nonpathogenic Listeria innocua and Listeria grayi. In June 2020, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to Abuelito, expressing serious concerns about alleged violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and warning that conditions in the company’s facility were conducive to the growth of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes. Abuelito’s products were ultimately linked to a February 2021 outbreak of listeriosis that resulted in at least 13 hospitalizations and one death across four states. The offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years of probation and a fine of $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2026. @ https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/new-jersey-manufacturer-pleads-guilty-distributing-contaminated-food-associated-listeria
