Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese recall: Potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 11 months ago

Potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

Locatelli Dairy — recalled dairy
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: Rochester, N.Y. – Wegmans Food Markets is recalling Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with Wegmans’ scale labels due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes , an organism that 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
November 26, 2025
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Locatelli
Product type
Dairy
Distribution
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington
Sold at
Wegmans
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

What the company announced

Rochester, N.Y. – Wegmans Food Markets is recalling Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with Wegmans’ scale labels due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes , an organism that 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.

This product was sold at Wegmans stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. between November 14 and November 24, 2025.

The product is packaged in a plastic tub labeled Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (see image below) with UPC 2-77580-XXXXX-7 (“XXXXX” varies based upon weight). All lot codes have been recalled and removed from shelves.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall was initiated after Wegmans was notified by its supplier that Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumers who have purchased Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese from Wegmans are urged to return it for a full refund. Customers with questions can contact Wegmans Food Markets at 1-855-934-3663 on Wednesday, 11/26, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Thursday, 11/27, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Friday, 11/28, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and starting on Saturday, 11/29, daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a regional supermarket chain with 114 stores located along the east coast. The family company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For®’ by Fortune® for 28 consecutive years, ranking #6 in 2025.

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.

What to do about Listeria

Locatelli — 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.

Remedy named in the notice: Consumers who have purchased Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese from Wegmans are urged to return it for a full refund.

Company contact: Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. — Consumers: Wegmans Food Markets, 1-855-934-3663 — Media: Tracy Van Auker, 585-429-3826, [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 Locatelli dairy recalled?

Potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Rochester, N.Y. – Wegmans Food Markets is recalling Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with Wegmans’ scale labels due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes , an organism that 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?

The notice does not publish package codes for this recall. Compare the product name, size and the purchase window against the official FDA — Company recall announcements record, and contact the company if you are unsure.

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 Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese from Wegmans are urged to return it for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington.

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