Great Lakes Cheese Company recalled over 1.5 million bags of shredded cheese after finding that some products contained metal fragments in raw materials supplied to the company.
The recall started on October 3 and the FDA classified it on December 1. The products remain under active recall.
What Triggered The Recall?
Great Lakes Cheese found potential metal fragments in raw materials received from a supplier. The company alerted its retail partners and pulled the affected shredded cheese products.
FDA records describe the issue as a “downstream recall” because several brands and product lines depend on the same contaminated supply.
Which Products Are Affected?
The recall covers over 263,000 cases of shredded cheese. One case includes multiple bags, bringing the total to over 1.5 million bags. Most of the recalled items are shredded mozzarella, with additional Italian blends and pizza blends included.
Brands listed in FDA documents include Always Save, Borden, Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Coburn Farms, Great Value, Happy Farms, Food Club, Econo, Gold Rush Creamery, Freedom’s Choice, and Good & Gather.
The cheese was sold in 31 states and Puerto Rico at major retailers including Walmart, Target and Aldi. Sell-by dates run from January to March 2026.
What Did Regulators Say?
The FDA listed the recall as Class II. This classification means the product can cause illness or injury, but the risk is not usually life-threatening. FDA documents do not identify the supplier responsible for the contaminated raw material. They also do not explain how the issue was detected.
Consumers should not eat the recalled cheese. The FDA urged people to throw the products away or return them to the store for a refund. Great Lakes Cheese did not issue a public press release but notified consignees directly.
