Two separate nationwide cheese recalls have been announced this month, affecting large quantities of shredded cheeses and grated Pecorino Romano sold at major retailers. Each recall is for a different safety concern and covers products with sell-by or expiration dates in 2026.
Shredded cheese recall (metal fragments)
Great Lakes Cheese, a packager based in Ohio, recalled hundreds of thousands of bags of shredded cheeses in early October after the possibility of metal fragments was discovered. The Food and Drug Administration has classified this recall as Class II, indicating the contamination could cause temporary or medically reversible health effects. Affected items include low-moisture part-skim shredded mozzarella, various Italian- and pizza-style shredded blends, and mixes pairing mozzarella with provolone or Parmesan.
These recalled bags were sold under many store and national brand names at retailers such as Target, Walmart, Publix, Aldi, H-E-B, Sprouts and others, and were distributed to 31 states plus Puerto Rico. States named in the recall include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico. Sell-by dates on the recalled shredded cheeses vary, but include dates in February and March 2026.
Examples of affected brands include (but are not limited to) Always Save, Borden, Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Coburn Farms, Food Club, Food Lion, Gold Rush Creamery, Good & Gather, Great Lakes Cheese, Happy Farms (Aldi), Laura Lynn, Lucerne, Publix, Sprouts Farmers Market and Sunnyside Farms. Consult the FDA website for the full list of SKUs and package details.
Grated Pecorino Romano recall (Listeria)
A separate recall by The Ambriola Company of New Jersey covers several grated Pecorino Romano products after routine testing at the facility detected Listeria. No illnesses were reported at the time of the recall, but the company voluntarily pulled products processed between Nov. 3 and Nov. 20 as a precaution while it works with the FDA and continues testing.
Recalled Pecorino Romano items are sold in plastic tubs and pound-size bags under brand names including Ambriola, Locatelli, Pinna, Boar’s Head and Member’s Mark. Expiration dates on these products run from February through May 2026. Walmart noted some affected items were sold at Walmart stores in 14 states and Sam’s Club in 27 states. Wegmans separately recalled Locatelli grated Pecorino Romano sold between Nov. 14 and 24 in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
What consumers should do
The FDA advises customers to throw away the recalled cheeses or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If you ate the recalled Pecorino Romano and develop symptoms consistent with listeriosis—commonly including fever, headache, stiff neck and muscle aches, typically beginning within about two weeks—contact a healthcare provider. Ambriola has paused production and distribution of the impacted products while it reviews sanitation and food safety procedures.
For product-specific information, UPCs and lot numbers, check the FDA recall notices or the recall pages of the retailers and brands involved.