The supplier of certain types of Boar’s Head cheese sold at Big Y has issued a recall for the cheese due to concerns about listeria contamination.
Ambriola Co., an Italian cheese importer that supplies Boar’s Head Pecorino Romano cheese, issued the voluntary “Class I” recall on Nov. 22 for two cheese products because of the risk of contamination from listeria monocytogenes.
The Food and Drug Administration defines a Class I Recall as “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
The cheese products being recalled are sold at Big Y, which has close to 40 locations in Connecticut. There have been no reports of illness due to the recalled products, according to a post on Big Y’s website.
Recalled Boar’s Head Pecorino Romano cheese. (Courtesy of Big Y)
The two products being recalled are:
Boar’s Head Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, 6 oz, Sell By: 11/21/25 to 3/12/26
Boar’s Head Pecorino Romano Cheese, 7 oz, Sell By: 11/25/25 to 5/11/26
Big Y wrote on its website that it will refund affected purchases if customers return the product or bring in proof of purchase.
Saturday’s recall is not the first time a Boar’s Head product has been recalled for listeria concerns. Last July, the company recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli products to combat a listeria outbreak that hospitalized dozens across the country and killed at least 10 people.
In January, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report found that the outbreak was due at least in part to “inadequate sanitation practices” at a Boar’s Head facility in Virginia.
Eating food contaminated with listeria can cause listeriosis, a serious infection. Mild symptoms may include a fever, muscle aches, nausea, tiredness, vomiting and diarrhea. If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, according to the FDA.
Listeriosis is most likely to sicken pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with otherwise weakened immune systems. The infection is a particular risk during pregnancy, as a listeria infection while pregnant can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or a life-threatening infection to the newborn, according to the FDA.
This article originally published at Boar’s Head cheese sold at Big Y recalled over listeria contamination risk.
Dining and Cooking