Class I U.S. Food and Drug Administration

1) Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op 100% Grass-Fed Pepper Jack Cheese recall: Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 1+ years ago

Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

What the notice says: Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Recall number
H-0528-2025
Published
September 3, 2025
Risk level
Class I
Status
Terminated
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative
Product type
Dairy
Units affected
1) 216.5 lbs. 2) 30 lbs. (246.5 lbs. TOTAL)
Distribution
Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Made in
United States
Lot / code info
Lot Code: 251661 JUL 16 2025 VAT A (on 40 lb. blocks)

Products covered by this recall

1) Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op 100% Grass-Fed Pepper Jack Cheese, 8 oz. individual units, 5 lb. loaves, and 40 lb. loaves, packaged in plastic with lot code 251661 2) Copia Collective 100% Grass-Fed Pepper Jack Cheese, 8 oz. individual units, packaged in plastic with lot code 251661

Check your product

The notice names 7 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Lot or batch code

Usually ink-stamped near the seam, the cap or the bottom of the pack.

  • 251661 2

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 8 oz
  • 5 lb
  • 40 lb
  • 216.5 lbs
  • 30 lbs
  • 246.5 lbs

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Food & cosmetics enforcement notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative — Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  3. Wash and then sanitise anything the food touched: the fridge shelf and drawer, chopping boards, knives, counters and your hands. Listeria colonises cold surfaces and can survive there after the food is gone.
  4. If anyone in the household is pregnant, over 65 or immunocompromised, call a clinician for advice even if nobody feels ill. That conversation is quick and it is the whole point of a Listeria recall.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Company contact: Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative — 16942 Kinsman Rd, Middlefield, OH, 44062-9484

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Food & cosmetics enforcement record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative dairy recalled?

Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes Potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: lot code 251661 2. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania.

Related recalls