Check your cheese: Shredded mozzarella and Pecorino Romano recalled nationwide

Lead

Two separate nationwide cheese recalls announced in early December 2025 affect hundreds of thousands of shredded mozzarella and multi‑cheese packages and several grated Pecorino Romano products. Great Lakes Cheese recalled multiple shredded mozzarella and multi‑cheese blends after potential metal fragments were found; the FDA upgraded that action to a Class II risk. Separately, The Ambriola Company pulled Pecorino Romano products after routine testing detected Listeria; no illnesses have been reported. Both recalls include items with expiration or sell‑by dates through spring 2026 and were sold at major retailers across many U.S. states.

Key Takeaways

• Great Lakes Cheese initiated a recall of six shredded cheese SKUs in early October; the FDA this week classified the incident as Class II, indicating possible temporary or medically reversible health effects.
• The shredded cheese products—low‑moisture part‑skim mozzarella and several multi‑cheese blends—were distributed to 31 states plus Puerto Rico, with sell‑by dates in February and March 2026.
• Brands carrying the recalled shredded cheeses include national and store labels such as Good & Gather, Great Value, Happy Farms by Aldi, Lucerne, Publix, and others sold at Target, Walmart, Aldi, Publix and more.
• The Ambriola Company recalled multiple grated Pecorino Romano products after detecting Listeria during routine testing; recalled items have expiration dates from February through May 2026.
• Ambriola said recalled Pecorino items were distributed between Nov. 3 and Nov. 20, 2025; Wegmans separately recalled Locatelli Pecorino Romano sold Nov. 14–24, 2025 in several East Coast locations.
• Walmart reported some Ambriola‑distributed Pecorino sold at Walmart stores in 14 states and at Sam’s Club in 27 states; overall retail footprints vary by brand and distributor.
• The FDA recommends consumers discard or return recalled products and to contact a healthcare provider if they develop symptoms of Listeria infection—typically beginning within two weeks of exposure.

Background

Food recalls for dairy products are not uncommon: soft cheeses and grated hard cheeses have appeared in past recall notices tied to pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, and shredded or packaged cheeses have occasionally been subject to foreign‑object contamination. The U.S. regulatory framework gives the Food and Drug Administration responsibility to classify recalls (Class I, II, III) based on the severity of the public‑health risk; a Class II classification signals a moderate risk of adverse health effects. Retail and private‑label packaging increasingly concentrates product handling in a few processors, which can amplify the scale when a single facility issue emerges.

Great Lakes Cheese, headquartered in Ohio and described in its filings as a large national packager, supplies shredded cheese to a wide range of chains and store brands. Ambriola, a New Jersey distributor, supplies Pecorino Romano under several brand names including Ambriola, Locatelli, Pinna, Boar’s Head and Member’s Mark; those products were processed at a facility now the focus of further testing. Retailers typically remove affected SKUs immediately, but products already purchased by consumers remain a concern for public health authorities.

Main Event

The Great Lakes Cheese recall began with an internal finding in early October and escalated after regulators identified a risk of metal fragments in several shredded mozzarella and blend products. The FDA reviewed the matter and upgraded its risk classification to Class II this week; the agency said consuming the contaminated product could lead to temporary or medically reversible injuries. The company’s recalled SKUs appear under dozens of brand and private‑label names, reflecting the company’s broad distribution network.

FDA records indicate the shredded cheese distribution reached 31 states—Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin—and Puerto Rico. Affected packages list sell‑by dates in February and March 2026. The agency has posted product lists on its recall portal; at the time of reporting the FDA had not issued a separate press release beyond the recall posting.

Separately, Ambriola announced a recall after routine testing at its New Jersey facility identified Listeria in some samples. The company said it alerted stores and distributors and suspended production of the affected lines while it conducts further sanitation and testing. The recalled Pecorino Romano products were distributed between Nov. 3 and Nov. 20, 2025, and carry expiration dates from February through May 2026. Retail reporting indicates those items reached Walmart, Sam’s Club and other outlets, and Wegmans issued a related recall for Locatelli product sold in mid‑November.

Analysis & Implications

From a public‑health standpoint, the two recalls present different risk profiles. The metal‑fragment concern tied to Great Lakes Cheese is primarily a physical‑hazard risk—sharp fragments can cause oral or gastrointestinal injury—whereas Listeria contamination poses an infection risk that is particularly dangerous for pregnant people, newborns, older adults and immunocompromised individuals. The FDA’s Class II designation for the shredded cheese signals regulators view the metal issue as serious but not an immediate life‑threat in typical exposures.

Economically, both recalls have supply‑chain implications for retailers carrying private‑label and national brands. When one packager supplies many store brands, a single manufacturing problem can force multiple retailers to pull products, issue refunds, and scramble for replacement inventory—potentially pressuring margins during busy seasonal demand. Smaller distributors or specialty producers can be disproportionately affected by halted production and expanded testing requirements.

Regulatory follow‑up will focus on root‑cause investigation and verification testing. For the metal contamination, investigators typically review equipment maintenance logs, metal detector calibration records and packaging lines to find the source. For Listeria, response actions focus on environmental sampling, sanitation protocols, and swabbing of facilities and equipment. Both types of investigations can lead to corrective‑action plans, extended recalls, or targeted enforcement if practices fall short of regulatory standards.

Comparison & Data

The table summarizes scale and timing differences: the shredded‑cheese issue traces to packaging and foreign‑object control, while Ambriola’s recall stems from microbiological testing. Both sets of dates show products with shelf life extending into spring 2026, meaning affected items may still be in consumer kitchens and retail inventories.

Reactions & Quotes

“We take food safety very seriously and immediately alerted stores and distributors to remove the affected products from shelves,”

Phil Marfuggi, CEO, The Ambriola Company (company statement)

Ambriola characterized its actions as precautionary while it conducts additional testing and sanitation reviews. The company also said it has suspended production of the affected lines during the investigation.

“Consumption of the product could cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (recall classification summary)

The FDA used this language in its Class II description for the shredded cheese recall; the statement frames the agency’s assessment of likely health outcomes if metal fragments are consumed.

Unconfirmed

• Exact number of contaminated shredded‑cheese containers has not been publicly disclosed by Great Lakes Cheese or the FDA as of publication.
• The full geographic breakdown of Ambriola‑distributed Pecorino Romano by store location beyond reported Walmart, Sam’s Club and Wegmans disclosures remains incomplete.
• While no illnesses have been reported in connection with the Ambriola Listeria finding, that absence of reports does not rule out future case identification pending public‑health surveillance.

Bottom Line

Consumers should check their refrigerators and pantries for the listed shredded mozzarella and Pecorino Romano products and follow retailer or manufacturer guidance to discard or return affected items for a refund. Health‑conscious consumers, especially those in higher‑risk groups for Listeria, should avoid consuming recalled Pecorino products and seek medical advice if they develop compatible symptoms within two weeks of exposure.

For industry and regulators, these recalls underscore the importance of robust environmental monitoring, equipment maintenance, and supply‑chain transparency—particularly when one packager supplies many private labels. Expect follow‑on inspections, additional testing results, and possible corrective‑action plans from the firms and from the FDA in the coming weeks.

Sources

• NPR — national news report summarizing recalls and retailer impacts (news)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts — official recall database and classification guidance (official)
• The Ambriola Company — distributor statement and recall notification (company/official)