Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Wicklow Gold Cheddar style cheeses recall: Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 1+ years ago

Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Wicklow Gold Dairy — recalled dairyWicklow Gold Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 2)Wicklow Gold Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 3)Wicklow Gold Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 4)
4 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: Abbey Specialty Foods of Fairfield, NJ is recalling Wicklow Gold Cheddar Nettle & Chive 5.2 oz product and Wicklow Gold Cheddar Tomato & Herb 5.2 oz product because they have 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
January 3, 2025
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Wicklow Gold
Product type
Dairy
Distribution
Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio
UPC codes
797776045730, 73585016606300, 797776045778, 73585017737300

Products covered by this recall

Cheddar style cheeses

What the company announced

Abbey Specialty Foods of Fairfield, NJ is recalling Wicklow Gold Cheddar Nettle & Chive 5.2 oz product and Wicklow Gold Cheddar Tomato & Herb 5.2 oz product because they have 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.

  • Item#: 28472 · Description: Wicklow Gold Cheddar Nettle & Chive 8/5.2 oz · Batch#: 24192 · Lot#: 1113880 · Sell by Date: 6/2/2025 · UPC: 797776045730 · GTIN: 73585016606300
  • Item#: 28473 · Description: Wicklow Gold Cheddar Tomato & Herb 8/5.2 oz · Batch#: 24175 · Lot#: 1113881 · Sell by Date: 6/2/2025 · UPC: 797776045778 · GTIN: 73585017737300

The only products being recalled are those on the table above. Below are product images.

You can identify these by reviewing batch number, UPC and by sell by date on the back label of the product. These products had limited distribution in the United States and were sold in these states MA, ME, NH, OH, CO. The few distributors and retailers that received the product have been informed of this possible health risk and have removed the products from their shelves.

To date, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse health events due to the consumption of these products.

The recall was initiated after our supplier, Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese LTD. notified Abbey Specialty Foods they were recalling these products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Consumers that have any of the recalled products listed in the table above should refrain from consuming them and return them to their place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of the products.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Abbey Specialty Foods at 862-210-8150 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Eastern Time or email [email protected] .

This recall is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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 12 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.

  • 797776045730
  • 73585016606300
  • 797776045778
  • 73585017737300

Lot or batch code

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

  • 24192
  • 1113880
  • 24175
  • 1113881

Best-by / use-by date

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

  • 6/2/2025

Model or item number

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

  • 28472
  • 28473

Package size

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

  • 5.2 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

Wicklow Gold — 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 that have any of the recalled products listed in the table above should refrain from consuming them and return them to their place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of the products.

Company contact: Abbey Specialty Foods — Consumers: Abbey Specialty Foods, 862-210-8150, [email protected] — Media: Jim Robinson, 862-210-8150, [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 Wicklow Gold dairy recalled?

Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes Abbey Specialty Foods of Fairfield, NJ is recalling Wicklow Gold Cheddar Nettle & Chive 5.2 oz product and Wicklow Gold Cheddar Tomato & Herb 5.2 oz product because they have 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 797776045730, 73585016606300, 797776045778; lot code 24192, 1113880, 24175; best-by date 6/2/2025; model number 28472, 28473. 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 that have any of the recalled products listed in the table above should refrain from consuming them and return them to their place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of the products.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio.

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