By: Richard L. Smith
A Paterson-based cheese manufacturer has admitted to introducing adulterated queso fresco into interstate commerce in a case connected to a multistate listeria outbreak that sickened numerous people and resulted in one death, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Abuelito Cheese Inc., also known as “El Abuelito Cheese,” pleaded guilty Thursday 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 court documents and statements made during the hearing, the company manufactured food products, including queso fresco, at its New Jersey facility and distributed those products throughout New Jersey and neighboring states.
Federal authorities said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducted an inspection of the facility in February 2020 and notified the company that non-pathogenic strains of Listeria, including Listeria innocua and Listeria grayi, had been detected at the plant.
In June 2020, the FDA issued a warning letter expressing serious concerns about alleged violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and cautioned that conditions at the facility were conducive to the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially deadly foodborne pathogen.
Prosecutors said products manufactured by the company were later linked to a listeriosis outbreak in February 2021 that resulted in at least 13 hospitalizations and one death across four states.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years of probation and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever amount is greater.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2026.
According to information released by federal authorities, the case remains part of ongoing efforts to ensure food manufacturers comply with federal safety regulations designed to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses.