Before you top that casserole or pizza, make sure your shredded cheese isn’t included in the latest recall from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More than 1.5 million bags of a variety of shredded cheeses produced by Great Lakes Cheese Co. may contain metal fragments.
The company produces shredded cheese products for many retailers, which are sold under private store-brand labels at ALDI, Target, Walmart, Publix, Sprouts, and more. The affected items were distributed in 31 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
The FDA issued an initial recall in October but upgraded the risk to a Class II recall on December 1 because eating the products “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” according to the organization’s website.
The presence of metal fragments “from supplier raw material” in food can potentially cause serious injuries to consumers. “These injuries may include dental damage, laceration of the mouth or throat, or laceration or perforation of the intestine,” according to an FDA report about metal inclusion.
Products in the recall include shredded Italian-style, pizza style, mozzarella, mozzarella and provolone, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and blends in a variety of cuts and package sizes. The following products are included:
Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
Always Save Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella CheeseBorden Shredded and Thick CutBrookshire’s Finely Shredded, Shredded, and Thick CutCache Valley Creamery ShreddedChestnut Hill Fancy ShreddedCoburn Farms ShreddedEcono ShreddedFood Club Finely Shredded and ShreddedFood Lion ShreddedGold Rush Creamery ShreddedGood and Gather Fine Cut and ClassicGreat Lakes Cheese ShreddedGreat Value Finely Shredded and ShreddedHappy Farms by ALDI ShreddedH-E-B Shredded, Thick, and Shredded/Fancy Finamente Rallado (sold only in Mexico)Hill Country Fare Shredded and Shredded/Rallado (sold only in Mexico)Know & Love Fine Cut, Classic Cut, and Thick CutLaura Lynn Finely Shredded, Shredded, and Thick Cut ShreddedLucerne Dairy Farms Finely Shredded, Shredded, and Rustic CutNu Farm Fancy ShreddedPublix ShreddedSchnuck’s ShreddedSimply Go Classic Cut Shredded and Rustic Cut ShreddedSprouts Farmers Market Finely Shredded and ShreddedStater Bros. Markets Finely Shredded and ShreddedSunnyside Farms Shredded
Italian-Style Cheese Blend
Happy Farms by ALDI Italian Style Shredded Cheese BlendBrookshire’s Italian 6-Cheese Finely ShreddedCache Valley Creamery Six Cheese Italian Finely ShreddedCoburn Farms Italian Style Finely ShreddedGreat Value Italian Style Finely ShreddedKnow & Love Italian Style Fine CutLaura Lynn Italian Blend Finely ShreddedPublix Italian Six Cheese Blend Fancy ShreddedSimply Go Italian Style Six Cheese Blend Fine Cut Shredded
Pizza-Style Cheese Blend
Food Club Finely Shredded Pizza Style Four Cheese BlendEcono Pizza ShreddedFood Club Pizza Style Two Cheese Blend Finely Shredded and ShreddedGold Rush Creamery Pizza Blend ShreddedGreat Value Pizza Blend ShreddedLaura Lynn Pizza Blend Finely ShreddedSimply Go Pizza Blend Two Cheese Mix Classic Cut Shredded
Mozzarella Cheese Blends
Freedom’s Choice Pizza Blend Fine-CutGood & Gather Mozzarella & Provolone ClassicGreat Lakes Cheese Mozzarella & Provolone ShreddedGreat Value Provolone & Mozzarella Blend ShreddedGood & Gather Mozzarella & Parmesan Shredded Cheese Blend Fine Cut
A complete list of products, package sizes, UPC codes, batch numbers, and sell-by dates can be found on the FDA website. The voluntary recall is ongoing and the FDA urges consumers who may have the affected cheese not to eat it. Throw it away or return it to the store where you purchased it for a full refund.
Dining and Cooking