Cheese importer and producer Ambriola Company issued a recall of cheese sold under the Boar’s Head label due to the potential presence of listeria monocytogenes bacteria, according to a Nov. 24 announcement published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Texas-based Supreme Service Solutions LLC, operating as Supreme Deli, is assisting in the recall.
The products recalled are Boar’s Head Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, item code 858, and FS Grated Romano Cheese, item code 15119, said the announcement. Both items have “Sell By” dates ranging from Nov. 21, 2025, to March 12, 2026.
The recall is applicable to Boar’s Head cheese products made by Ambriola. Ambriola has categorized the recall under Class I due to potential adulteration with Listeria monocytogenes.
Class I is the highest among the FDA’s three recall classifications and is issued only in a situation where there is a “reasonable probability” that exposure to the product can result in adverse health consequences or death.
The recalled items were distributed via Kroger retail stores in Kentucky and Indiana.
According to an August 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria infection is the third leading cause of death due to foodborne illness in the United States.
CDC estimates listeria causes 1,250 infections annually in the country, with 172 people dying from the infection.
People most at risk of listeria are pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 and above, and people with weakened immune systems, said the agency.
Boar’s Head decided to withdraw other products manufactured by Ambriola Company under the brand, according to the announcement.
This includes Pre-cut Pecorino Romano with item code 15160, which, despite not being affected by the recall, is still being withdrawn from the market by Boar’s Head due to “an abundance of caution,” it said.
So far, no illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported for the items.
In a Nov. 24 statement, Boar’s Head said the recall was an isolated incident related to Ambrioila and that “no other Boar’s Head products manufactured at any other facility are impacted by this recall.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Ambriola for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
In September, the Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for several ready-to-eat meals due to the potential presence of listeria.In October, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market recalled select lots of Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad, citing listeria contamination.A CDC investigation into an outbreak linked to pasta meals is still active. The outbreak has resulted in 27 reported infections across 18 states as of Oct. 30, including 25 hospitalizations and six deaths.Listeria can cause an intestinal illness or an invasive illness, in which the pathogen spreads beyond the gut, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of intestinal illness include diarrhea and vomiting. For invasive illness, symptoms can include fever, headache, confusion, loss of balance, stiff neck, and seizures, it said.
In a Nov. 24 post at the Harvard Medical School, Darren Higgins, professor of microbiology in the Blavatnik Institute, said listeria can use human cells to hide from the body’s immune system.
This allows it to travel to body sites that most other types of bacteria are not able to reach, such as across the membrane protecting the brain. “For people with immune systems that are compromised due to age, pregnancy, or some other reason, listeria has the highest case fatality rate of any food-borne pathogen—we’ve seen as high as 20 or 30 percent in recent outbreaks,” Higgins said.
“There are currently no targeted treatments for listeria infection. If a pregnant person gets sick, you’re looking at a month or more in the hospital with high-dose intravenous antibiotics and still there is a high risk of fetal mortality, premature labor, or stillbirth due to the infection.”
Dining and Cooking