Checking the news for food recalls is basically a part-time job lately. If you've looked at your fridge recently and wondered if that block of cheese is safe, you aren't alone. Honestly, it's exhausting.
Right now, as of January 2026, the short answer is yes. There is an active Listeria situation that has federal health officials on high alert.
Specifically, the FDA just escalated a major nationwide cheese recall to its highest risk level—Class I. This isn't just a "maybe don't eat this" suggestion; it means there is a "reasonable probability" that eating the product will cause serious health problems or even death.
The focus right now is on The Ambriola Company, which is a massive importer and distributor of Italian specialty cheeses. They’ve had to pull more than 11,500 units of Pecorino Romano off shelves across 20 different states.
The Big One: The Pecorino Romano Cheese Recall
This whole thing started back in late November 2025, but it just hit the "danger zone" this week. On January 13, 2026, the FDA officially upgraded the risk level.
Why the delay?
Well, routine testing at a facility in West Caldwell, New Jersey, found Listeria monocytogenes in the environment and the products. Even though the company started pulling stuff in November, the FDA's formal classification of the risk usually follows a deep-dive investigation into how much of the "bad batch" actually made it to people's kitchens.
Here is the kicker: the brands involved are household names. We aren't just talking about niche boutique shops.
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- Locatelli: This is a big one. Grated Pecorino Romano in 4-ounce and 8-ounce cups.
- Boar’s Head: They have 6-ounce cups and 5-pound bags of the same cheese included in the recall.
- Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club): Specifically their 1.5-pound plastic bags.
- Ambriola and Pinna: Various sizes and bulk bags used in food service.
If you have any of these in your fridge with expiration dates ranging from February to May 2026, stop reading and go check the lot numbers. The states involved include Texas, California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and about 15 others.
The silver lining? So far, no one has officially reported getting sick from this specific cheese. But Listeria is a sneaky bacteria. It can take up to 70 days for symptoms to show up, so health officials are still holding their breath.
The Lingering "Prepared Meals" Outbreak
While the cheese is the newest headline, we are also coming off the tail end of a very serious outbreak linked to ready-to-eat pasta meals.
This one was nasty.
It involved chicken fettuccine alfredo and various pasta salads sold at Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons. As of the most recent CDC update, at least 27 people across 18 states got sick. Six people died.
The products were mostly manufactured by a company called FreshRealm, which provides those convenient "grab-and-go" meals. The CDC found that the linguine pasta used in those meals was the likely culprit. Even though most of those products have passed their "best-by" dates, the CDC is still warning people to check their freezers.
Listeria can survive—and even grow—in the cold. If you tucked a Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast or a Marketside meal into the back of your freezer six months ago, toss it. It’s not worth the risk.
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Why Listeria is Actually Terrifying
Most food poisoning is a bad night in the bathroom. Listeria is different.
For a healthy person, you might just get a fever and some muscle aches. You'll feel like you have the flu. But for "high-risk" groups, it’s a whole different story.
Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection than the general population. The scary part? The mother might only feel slightly ill, but the bacteria can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, or severe infections in the newborn.
The CDC notes that in the prepared meals outbreak we just saw, there was at least one "fetal loss" reported. It’s heartbreaking and it’s why these recalls are so aggressive.
Older adults (over 65) and people with weakened immune systems also face a huge risk of invasive listeriosis. This is when the bacteria spreads beyond the gut and hits the blood or the brain, leading to meningitis or sepsis.
Is My Kitchen Safe?
If you realize you’ve eaten one of the recalled cheeses or a pasta meal, don’t panic.
If you don't have a fever or a stiff neck, you’re probably fine. Just keep an eye on how you feel for the next few weeks. However, if you do find a recalled product in your fridge, you have to do more than just throw it away.
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Listeria is hardy. It can live on your fridge shelves and then jump onto your lettuce or your deli meat.
- Throw it out: Bag it up so pets or wildlife can't get to it.
- Sanitize everything: Wash the drawer or shelf where the product sat with hot, soapy water.
- Bleach is your friend: A diluted bleach solution (one tablespoon of unscented bleach to one gallon of water) is the only way to be sure the bacteria is dead.
- Wash your hands: Seems obvious, but give them a good 20-second scrub after handling the packaging.
What to Watch For Next
The "outbreak" status of the Pecorino Romano cheese is technically in a "preventative" phase because no illnesses have been confirmed yet. But because it’s a Class I recall, that could change any day.
We are also seeing a separate Salmonella outbreak right now linked to Live it Up Super Greens supplement powder, but that's a different beast entirely.
The best thing you can do is stay informed without letting it ruin your dinner. Public health officials are getting better at "traceback" investigations—using DNA fingerprinting (whole genome sequencing) to link a single sick person in Oregon to a factory in New Jersey in record time.
Next Steps for You:
- Check the labels: Look for Locatelli or Boar's Head Pecorino Romano. If the lot numbers match the FDA's list (specifically numbers like 1000572472 or 1000570734), take it back to the store for a refund.
- Clean the "Cold Zones": If you found a recalled item, wipe down your fridge. Listeria loves the cold.
- Monitor Symptoms: If you're in a high-risk group and feel "flu-ish" after eating suspect cheese, call your doctor. Mention the Listeria recall specifically so they know to run the right tests.
Food safety is a moving target. Staying aware of these recalls is the only way to keep your kitchen—and your family—safe from these invisible hitchhikers.