The Food and Drug Administration has elevated a nationwide cheese recall to its highest risk level after testing confirmed the presence of a bacteria that can cause severe illness and is potentially deadly.
The FDA last week upgraded the recall to a Class I, which means “there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
There have been no reports of confirmed illnesses linked to the recall.
The original recall initiated by the Ambriola Company was issued on Nov. 25, 2025, after routine testing found traces of listeria monocytogenes in cheese products. The specific type of bacteria detected can lead to a listeria infection, which can cause severe illness, especially in pregnant women, older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems.
Which cheese products are recalled?
Four out of the eight products were sold directly to consumers, while the other four were sold for large-scale cooking purposes. A complete list of the recall and lot numbers can be found on the FDA website.
Consumer cooking
-
Locatelli grated pecorino romano
-
4 oz. and 8 oz. plastic cups with lids, 12 units per case; 6,632 units were recalled.
-
5 lb. and 10 lb. plastic bags; 964 bags were recalled.
-
-
Pinna grated pecorino romano
-
10 lb. plastic bags, two per case; 45 bags were recalled.
-
-
Boar’s Head grated pecorino romano
-
6 oz. plastic cups with lids, 12 units per case; 2,106 units were recalled.
-
Large-scale cooking
-
Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club) pecorino romano grated
-
1.5 lb. plastic bags, 12 units per case; 1,015 bags were recalled.
-
-
Boar’s Head pecorino romano grated
-
5 lb. plastic bags; 405 bags were recalled.
-
-
Ambriola Piccante grated pecorino romano
-
5 lb. and 10 lb. plastic bags; 179 bags were recalled.
-
-
Locatelli grated pecorino romano
-
8 oz. plastic cups with lids, 48 units per case; 184 units were recalled.
-
Where were the recalled products sold?
The recalled products were distributed to the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
What to do if you bought any of the affected cheese products
The FDA advises customers not to consume any of the affected products and to discard them, including those stored in the freezer. Customers can also return the affected cheese to where they purchased it for a refund.