Over 1.5 million shredded cheese bags recalled from US stores after metal contamination alert

Over 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese sold at Target, Aldi, and Walmart stores across California have been recalled due to potential metal contamination, reports the Los Angeles Times. The US Food and Drug Administration claims that Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese Co started the recall in early October.

Shredded cheese recalled

According to a notice issued by the FDA, over 260,000 cases of shredded cheese have been voluntarily recalled by the Great Lakes Cheese Co.

On Monday, the FDA elevated the recall to "Class II," which indicates that exposure to or use of the listed items may result in "medically reversible adverse health consequences" or transitory health effects.

The recall is still being looked into by the FDA. A supplier of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese "notified us that they were recalling cheese they had supplied to us due to foreign material," Great Lakes Cheese Co said in a statement to The Times.

According to the corporation, it promptly removed the packaged goods containing the foreign material and separated the impacted raw material in its facilities. “We instructed retailers to remove the products from store shelves after the announcement in October,” read the statement issued by Great Lakes Cheese Co.

The company also claimed that after “recalled products had been removed from store shelves”, they distributed a new and safe product.

Affected cheese

As part of the recall, the FDA has flagged the following shredded cheese items:

Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese: Always Save, Borden, Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Chestnut Hill, Coburn Farms, Econo, Food Club, Food Lion, Gold Rush Creamery, Good & Gather, Great Lakes Cheese, Happy Farms by Aldi, H-E-B, Hill Country Fare, Know & Love, Laura Lynn, Lucerne Dairy Farms, Nu Farm, Publix, Schnucks, Simply Go, Sprouts Farmers Market, Stater Bros. Markets and Sunnyside Farms.

Italian-style shredded cheese blend: Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Coburn Farms, Great Value, Know & Love, Laura Lynn, Publix, Simply Go and Happy Farms.

Mozzarella and mild cheddar cheese blend: Econo, Food Club, Gold Rush Creamery, Great Value, Laura Lynn and Simply Go.

Mozzarella and non-smoked provolone cheese: Freedom’s Choice, Good & Gather, Great Lakes Cheese and Great Value.

FAQs

How many cases of shredded cheese did Great Lakes Cheese Co. recall?

Great Lakes Cheese Co. recalled 260,000 cases of shredded cheese.

Where is Great Lakes Cheese Co. based?

Great Lakes Cheese Co. is based in Ohio.