1985 California listeriosis outbreak in cheese
Encyclopedia
The 1985 California listeria outbreak was in Mexican style soft cheese
made by Jalisco in California
. There were 48 or 52 deaths, including 19 stillbirths and 10 infant deaths. It was the deadliest foodborne illness outbreak in the United States, measured by the number of deaths, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
began tracking outbreaks in the 1970s.
supplied the raw milk
to Jalisco to make the soft Mexican-style cheese
in 1985. Jalisco had a non-licensed technician perform the pasteurization
. Pasteurized milk might have been diluted with non-pasteurized milk by the technician.
The cheese caused 142 cases of listeriosis in 1985, including 52 fatalities.
On July 15, 1989 Alta Dena
was absolved of any blame.
Queso blanco
Queso blanco, along with other similar cheeses including queso fresco, is a creamy, soft, and mild unaged white cheese that originated in Spain and spread to Mexico and other American countries...
made by Jalisco in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. There were 48 or 52 deaths, including 19 stillbirths and 10 infant deaths. It was the deadliest foodborne illness outbreak in the United States, measured by the number of deaths, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
began tracking outbreaks in the 1970s.
History
Alta DenaAlta Dena
Alta Dena, founded in 1945, is a dairy located in the City of Industry, California.-History:Alta Dena Dairy was founded in 1945 by the Stueve family. It earned the "Certified Dairy" status in 1953 from the American Association of Milk Commissions. In 1999, Dean Foods Company acquired Alta Dena....
supplied the raw milk
Raw milk
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.-History:Humans consumed raw milk exclusively prior to the industrial revolution and the invention of the pasteurization process in 1864. During the industrial revolution large populations congregated into urban areas detached from the...
to Jalisco to make the soft Mexican-style cheese
Queso blanco
Queso blanco, along with other similar cheeses including queso fresco, is a creamy, soft, and mild unaged white cheese that originated in Spain and spread to Mexico and other American countries...
in 1985. Jalisco had a non-licensed technician perform the pasteurization
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
. Pasteurized milk might have been diluted with non-pasteurized milk by the technician.
The cheese caused 142 cases of listeriosis in 1985, including 52 fatalities.
On July 15, 1989 Alta Dena
Alta Dena
Alta Dena, founded in 1945, is a dairy located in the City of Industry, California.-History:Alta Dena Dairy was founded in 1945 by the Stueve family. It earned the "Certified Dairy" status in 1953 from the American Association of Milk Commissions. In 1999, Dean Foods Company acquired Alta Dena....
was absolved of any blame.