rewrite this title Shredded Cheese With Possible Metal Fragments Sparks Massive National Recall

An extensive recall of shredded cheese is underway due to the possibility that it contains metal fragments. According to a report by the US Food and Drug Administration, the cheeses were distributed in 31 states and Puerto Rico, with many of them sold at popular retailers such as Aldi, Target and Walmart.

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The reason listed for the recall is “potential metal fragments from supplier raw material,” and Great Lakes Cheese from Hiram, Ohio, is the company behind the recall. 

In a news release provided to CNET, Great Lakes Cheese stated that the recall was related to an incident in October when the cheese supplier “notified us that they were recalling cheese they had supplied to us due to foreign material.” The bulk of the recalled cheeses — which includes 235,789 cases — are low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese packaged in individually plastic bags. Those recalled cheeses are:

Always Save – Shredded, 5 lb., UPC 7003865782, 4/caseBorden – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 5300007162 6 or 12/caseBorden – Thick Cut, 8 oz., UPC 5300007170, 6/case 3Brookshire’s – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 9282510119, 12/case Brookshire’s – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 9282510120, 12/case Brookshire’s – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 9282510130, 6/caseBrookshire’s – Thick Cut, 8 oz., UPC 9282592197, 12/case 4Cache Valley Creamery – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 7495802553, 6 or 12/caseChestnut Hill – Fancy Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 3225116742, 6/caseCoburn Farms – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 5193331657, 12/case Coburn Farms – Shredded, 12 oz., UPC 5193321820, 18/case Coburn Farms – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 5193334257, 6/caseEcono – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 893800294, 12/case Food Club – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 3680045573, 12/case Food Club – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 3680005117, 12/case Food Club – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 3680005144, 12/case Food Club – Shredded, 32 oz., tube-style bag, UPC 3680012914, 6/case, case UPC 3680041215 Food Club – Shredded, 32 oz., square-style bag, UPC 3680038305, 6/case Food Lion – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 3582609008, 12/case Gold Rush Creamery – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 1401401014, 12/case Gold Rush Creamery – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 1401401030, 6/case Good & Gather – Fine Cut, 8 oz., UPC 8523903860, 12/case Good & Gather – Classic, 8 oz., UPC 8523903849, 12/case Good & Gather – Classic, 32 oz., UPC 8523903852, 6/case Great Lakes Cheese – Shredded, 5 lb., UPC 3651415034, 4/case Great Value – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 7874237425, 6/case Great Value – Finely Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 7874204492, 5/case Great Value – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 7874235317, 6/case Great Value – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 7874235321, 5/case Great Value – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 7874237475, 6/case Great Value – Shredded, 5 lb., UPC 7874204980, 4/case Happy Farms by Aldi – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 4061463330864, 12/case Happy Farms by Aldi – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 4061463369413, 8/case H-E-B – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 4122022272, 12/case H-E-B – Thick, 8 oz., UPC 4122061295, 12/case H-E-B – Shredded/Fancy Finamente Rallado, 8 oz., UPC 4122006759, 12/case (distributed for sale in Mexico only) Hill Country Fare – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 4122018977Hill Country Fare – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 4122016234Hill Country Fare – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 4122042334Hill Country Fare – Shredded, 5 lb., UPC 4122082998Hill Country Fare – Shredded/Rallado, 8 oz., UPC 4122024512 (distributed for sale in Mexico only) Know & Love – Fine Cut, 8 oz., UPC 788030650Know & Love – Fine Cut, 16 oz., UPC 788030657Know & Love – Classic Cut, 8 oz., UPC 788030659Know & Love – Classic Cut, 32 oz., UPC 788030658Know & Love – Thick Cut, 8 oz., UPC 788030678Laura Lynn – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 8685401031Laura Lynn – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 8685400824Laura Lynn –  Shredded, 12 oz., UPC 8685400815Laura Lynn – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 8685406528Laura Lynn – Thick Cut Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 8685407109Lucerne Dairy Farms – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 2113004867Lucerne Dairy Farms – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 2113004259Lucerne Dairy Farms – Shredded Family Size, 32 oz., UPC 2113004741Lucerne Dairy Farms – Rustic Cut, 8 oz., UPC 2113004944, 12/case Lucerne Dairy Farms – Rustic Cut Family Size, 32 oz., UPC 2113004949Nu Farm – Fancy Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 3104100151Publix – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 4141511665Publix – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 4141523365Schnuck’s – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 4131858010Simply Go – Classic Cut Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 1015983021Simply Go – Classic Cut Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 1015983020Simply Go – Rustic Cut Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 1015983040Sprouts Farmers Market – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 4667052284Sprouts Farmers Market – Shredded Value Pack, 32 oz., UPC 4667052279Stater Bros. Markets – Finely Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 7417546413Stater Bros. Markets – Shredded, 8 oz., UPC 7417546402Stater Bros. Markets – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 7417546435Sunnyside Farms – Shredded, 16 oz., UPC 1754450204Sunnyside Farms – Shredded, 32 oz., UPC 1754450057

Other recalled cheeses, which include Italian-style shredded cheese blends, pizza-style shredded cheese, mozzarella and provolone blends and a mozzarella and parmesan blend, can be found in the FDA announcement.

Great Lakes Cheese stated in the release that “all recalled products have been removed from markets and replaced with new products,” adding that “the products currently on retail shelves are safe to consume and not associated with the October recall.” However, you should still check to see if you purchased any of the recalled cheeses.

Where was the cheese sold?

The states where the recalled cheeses were distributed include Alabama, Arkansa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin as well as Puerto Rico.

What to do if you have cheese that has been recalled?

You can return recalled cheeses to the retailer you bought them from to receive a refund. 

In regard to the FDA releasing the recall information this month, Great Lakes Cheese stated, “While the status of the recall is marked as ongoing in the enforcement report, our records show all product has been fully removed from store shelves. Any households with any of the affected items from October in their refrigerators or freezers should discard the product or return it to the store where it was purchased for a refund.”