Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head Cheese recall: Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 11 months ago

Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head Dairy — recalled dairyAmbriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 2)Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 3)
3 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

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: [West Caldwell, NJ] – December 3, 2025 – The Ambriola Company is recalling select cheese products after routine testing confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

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

Published
December 3, 2025
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head
Product type
Dairy
Distribution
Nationwide
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Cheese

What the company announced

“Press was updated on December 3, 2025, to refine product identification. ”

[West Caldwell, NJ] – December 3, 2025 – The Ambriola Company is recalling select cheese products after routine testing confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Out of an abundance of caution, the Company is also recalling additional cheese products processed at the same facility in West Caldwell, New Jersey.

No illnesses have been reported to date. That said, customers who have symptoms of listeria infection should contact their healthcare provider.

The affected products were distributed to retail stores and distributors nationwide between November 3, 2025 and November 20, 2025 and include:

  • Retail Product (Exact Weight): Locatelli Pecorino Romano Grated 4 oz. cup · Expiration Dates: 05/03/26, 05/10/26, 05/17/26
  • Retail Product (Exact Weight): Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano 8 oz. cup · Expiration Dates: Floor Display Shipper Dated Production 04/06/26, 04/11/26, 04/12/26, 04/15/26, 04/17/26 Regular Stock Dated Product 05/05/26, 05/06/26, 05/07/26, 05/10/26 05/12/26, 05/14/26, 05/17/26
  • Retail Product (Exact Weight): Boar’s Head Grated Pecorino Romano 6 oz. cup · Expiration Dates: 03/04/26, 03/12/2026
  • Retail Product (Exact Weight): Members Mark 1.5 lb. Bag · Expiration Dates: 03/25/26, 03/30/26, 04/05/26
  • Product Sold by Variable Random Weights: Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano · Bulk Product-Expiration Dates: 03/04/26, 03/06/26, 03/11/26, 03/13/26
  • Product Sold by Variable Random Weights: Ambriola Grated Pecorino Romano · Bulk Product-Expiration Dates: 02/28/26, 03/04/26, 03/11/26
  • Product Sold by Variable Random Weights: Pinna Grated Pecorino Romano · Bulk Product-Expiration Dates: 03/11/26
  • Product Sold by Variable Random Weights: Boar’s Head Pecorino Romano Grated bag · Bulk Product-Expiration Dates: 03/03/26, 03/12/26

No other Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, or Boar’s Head products are included in the recall.

Customers who purchased the affected products should not consume them and either dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Ambriola at 1-800-962-8224 from Monday through Friday from 9:00am – 4:00 pm ET.

“We take food safety very seriously and immediately alerted stores and distributors to remove the affected products from shelves,” said Phil Marfuggi, chief executive officer. “We are working closely with the FDA and continuing to test our products and facilities to fully understand the situation.”

Ambriola has suspended production and distribution of affected products as the Company conducts a thorough review of all sanitation and food safety procedures.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 25 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Best-by / use-by date

Printed beside the lot code, not on the price sticker.

  • 05/03/26
  • 05/10/26
  • 03/04/26
  • 03/25/26
  • 03/30/26
  • 04/05/26
  • 03/06/26
  • 03/11/26
  • 03/13/26. P
  • 02/28/26
  • 03/03/26
  • 03/12/26

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • 04/11/26
  • 04/12/26
  • 04/15/26
  • 04/17/2
  • 05/05/26
  • 05/06/26
  • 05/07/26
  • 05/10/26 05/12/26
  • 05

Package size

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

  • 4 oz
  • 8 oz
  • 6 oz
  • 1.5 lb

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head — 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. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.
  3. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  4. 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.

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.

Remedy named in the notice: Customers who purchased the affected products should not consume them and either dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Company contact: The Ambriola Company — Consumers: Ambriola, 1-800-962-8224

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 — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Ambriola, Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Boar’s Head… recalled?

Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes [West Caldwell, NJ] – December 3, 2025 – The Ambriola Company is recalling select cheese products after routine testing confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: best-by date 05/03/26 or 05/10/26; model number 04/11/26, 04/12/26, 04/15/26. 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?

The notice says: Customers who purchased the affected products should not consume them and either dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Where was the recalled product sold?

It was distributed nationwide.

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