Cheese recall in 20 states also affects Washington

Buying grated cheese in the dairy section of your local store is a wonderful convenience, especially if you're making something like pizza. Maybe you're having tacos or quesadillas. It saves you a lot of time, you don't have to grate the cheese, it's already done for you. 

But you may want to check your refrigerator because some of these grated cheeses have been recalled. 

According to Seattletimes.com,
‘Several thousand containers of grated cheese recalled last year due to listeria concerns have been bumped up to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s most high-risk recall category. In November, the Ambriola Company, a New Jersey-based importer of Italian food products, issued a nationwide recall of more than 11,500 units of grated Pecorino Romano cheese confirmed to be contaminated with listeria.’ 

Eight different cheeses either in plastic bags or cups of different sizes with brand names like Boar’s Head, Locatelli, Pinna, Member’s Mark and Ambriola are part of the recall. The products went to retail stores in 20 different states including Washington and Oregon. 

Listeria is serious stuff. It's a bacterium that leads to listeriosis (Listeria infection) which is not fun. Symptoms include headaches, muscle aches, stiff necks, and of course, the ever-popular diarrhea. It can be a serious problem for people with compromised immune systems potentially resulting in death. The only upside is that it can be treated with antibiotics. 

If you think you've purchased one of these products and want to find out for sure if it's OK to use or if you need to throw it out, Contact Ambriola at 1-800-962-8224. 

Boar’s Head Grated Pecorino Romano sold in a 6-ounce cup with expiration dates of 03/04/26 and 03/12/2026 

Member’s Mark Pecorino Romano sold in a 1.5-pound bag with expiration dates of 03/25/26, 03/30/26 and 04/05/26 

Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano sold by the pound with expiration dates of 03/04/26, 03/06/26, 03/11/26 and 03/13/26 

If the product is on the recall list, you can throw it out, or you can return it to where you purchased it for a refund.