The repacker was recalled too - how a bulk shipment carries a recall downstream (La Colonia Foods)
The U.S. FDA classified as Class I a recall of 670 units of Salvadorean-style ricotta (requeson) from La Colonia Foods. The reason is possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, and the firm's related records include product bought in bulk from another company and repacked.
Recall overview (primary data)
- ClassificationClass I (most serious)
- Product typeFood
- Recalling firmLa Colonia Foods Llc
- ReasonProducts may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
- DistributionThe recalled product was distributed to the following states: MD, VA
- Recall initiated2026-06-04
Key points
- The product is Salvadorean-style ricotta (requeson), 14 oz, totalling 670 units, classified Class I.
- The reason is possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes; distribution reached Maryland and Virginia.
- Related records for the firm include product bought in bulk from another company and packed into 18-pound buckets.
- A firm that buys in bulk and repacks conducts the recall as its own branded product.
- As of 2026-09-02, 18 records are tied to the upstream manufacturer and four to the downstream repacker.
- The supplier's name appears in the product description rather than the reason field, so binding by company name alone hides the chain.
1A recall reaches the company that repacks
Food distribution widely involves buying in large units and repacking for retail. Because the repacker sells under its own name, a problem found at the supplier becomes a recall of its own branded product.
- 1A problem is found at the plantListeria contamination is identified at the cheese manufacturer
- 2It has shipped in bulkIt has passed to other firms in large units such as 18-pound buckets
- 3It is repacked for retailPacked into 14 oz retail containers and sold under another brand
- 4The downstream firm recalls tooIt conducts the recall as its own branded product
Beside this record sits another from the same firm covering the bulk product handled as it came, in buckets. Because the supplier's name appears in the product description rather than in the reason field, binding records by company name alone hides the chain.
2The counts differ upstream and downstream
Eighteen upstream against four downstream. Where a firm handles only part of a supplier's range, its record count comes out lower. The difference in counts reflects the range of items handled, not the smallness of the impact.
3Tracing after repacking into retail containers
Product packed into 14 oz retail containers goes straight to consumers. Unlike the portion that moved on in bulk to foodservice, there is little means of identifying purchasers, and the recall depends on whether notice reaches them. The same contamination produces a different effectiveness of recall depending on the stage at which, and to whom, the product passes.
Why it matters
For a business buying in bulk and repacking for retail, a supplier recall becomes a recall of its own brand. Without records matching incoming lots to outgoing product lots, the scope cannot be narrowed and a full recall follows. The supplier name may survive only in the free-text product description rather than a structured field, so following the chain mechanically requires reading both the reason and the product description.
FAQ
Why is the repacking company recalled as well?
Why do upstream and downstream record counts differ?
Where was it distributed?
Sources (primary)
Source: openFDA (U.S. FDA, CC0 public domain). Data is provided as-is and must not be used for medical decisions. Verify the latest and exact details with the official FDA recall information. This site is not endorsed or certified by the U.S. FDA.
- FDA recall information (official)
- openFDA (data provider)
- Recall number: H-1217-2026