SAN JUAN — Some 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese sold at retailers including Walmart and Target have been recalled after the Ohio-based manufacturer warned the products may contain metal fragments.
Great Lakes Cheese Co., the Hiram, Ohio-based firm, initiated the voluntary action affecting multiple brands sold at major retailers.
The recall, which began on October 3, stems from potential metal fragments in supplier raw material — prompting what regulators describe as a downstream recall across several product lines.
The FDA classified the action on December 1, and the recall remains active. The affected cheese — including mozzarella, Italian-style blends, pizza blends and mozzarella-based mixes — was distributed in 31 states and Puerto Rico at retailers including Walmart, Target and Aldi.
Brands named in the filings and in an FDA-linked update include Always Save, Borden, Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Coburn Farms, Great Value, Happy Farms, Food Club, Econo, Gold Rush Creamery, Freedom’s Choice, Good & Gather and others.
Sell-by dates on the affected products run from January through March 2026, depending on the brand and formulation.
Great Lakes Cheese did not issue a public press release though it did notify consignees of the problem, according to FDA records.
The seven recall categories listed in FDA records cover more than 263,000 cases of shredded cheese — each case containing several bags of products.
The largest portion of the recall involves more than 235,000 cases of shredded mozzarella, with additional Italian-style and pizza blends accounting for thousands more cases.
All products were classified as Class II by regulators — which means that the problem could cause illness or injury, though the risk is lower and not usually life-threatening.
FDA records cite “potential metal fragments from supplier raw material” as the reason for the action.
The summary you provided does not identify the supplier or explain how the contamination was discovered.
Consumers are urged not to eat the affected cheese and to throw it away or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
By ARIEL ZILBER/New York Post
