Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Face Rock Creamery Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds recall: Potential Foodborne Illness – Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 1+ years ago

Potential Foodborne Illness – Listeria monocytogenes

Face Rock Creamery Other food products — recalled other food products
Photo 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: Face Rock Creamery of Bandon, Oregon is voluntarily recalling two specific lots of its Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds, 6oz. cups, Use By date 08292025, because it has the potential to be contaminated with 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
June 20, 2025
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Face Rock Creamery
Product type
Other food products
Distribution
California, Nevada
UPC codes
851222005287
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds

What the company announced

Face Rock Creamery of Bandon, Oregon is voluntarily recalling two specific lots of its Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds, 6oz. cups, Use By date 08292025, because it has the potential to be contaminated with 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.

The affected product was distributed in Trader Joe’s locations in Northern California (locations in Monterey, Fresno and all locations North) and Northern Nevada (locations in Carson City, Reno, and Sparks), and is identified by the following information:

The Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds was packaged in a clear in a sealed plastic cup with lid and has the UPC 8 51222 00528 7. It has the Lot numbers 20250519VS01 and 20250519VS02, and the Use By date of 08292025.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the company which revealed that the finished products contained the bacteria. The company has notified U.S. FDA and Oregon Department of Agriculture, and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.

Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For any questions, please contact our Customer Care team through email to [email protected] at any time. Consumers will receive a swift response during business hours 8AM – 5PM PST.

Face Rock Creamery is committed to ensuring the safety and quality of our products and is working closely with our distribution partners and regulatory agencies to resolve the matter swiftly and thoroughly. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate the trust our customers place in us.

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

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 851222005287

Lot or batch code

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

  • 6oz. cups
  • 20250519VS01
  • 20250519VS02

Best-by / use-by date

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

  • 08292025

Package size

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

  • 6 oz

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

Face Rock Creamery — 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. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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: Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Company contact: Face Rock Creamer — Consumers: Customer Care Team, [email protected]

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 Face Rock Creamery other food products recalled?

Potential Foodborne Illness – Listeria monocytogenes Face Rock Creamery of Bandon, Oregon is voluntarily recalling two specific lots of its Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds, 6oz. cups, Use By date 08292025, because it has the potential to be contaminated with 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: UPC 851222005287; lot code 6oz. cups, 20250519VS01, 20250519VS02; best-by date 08292025. 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: Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists California, Nevada.

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