Recall: Say Cheese? Maybe Not Today: The Urgent Ambriola Pecorino Romano Recall You Need to Know About
It’s another recall alert. Pasta lovers and charcuterie board enthusiasts, put down the grater. We need to have a serious chat about what’s currently sitting in your fridge.
If you’ve recently stocked up on Pecorino Romano for that carbonara recipe you’ve been dying to try, you might want to double-check the label. The FDA has just dropped a major alert regarding cheese products from The Ambriola Company, and it’s not the kind of news we like to hear. We’re talking about a potential Listeria contamination, and nobody has time for that.
Let’s break this down without the dry regulatory jargon, so you can check your stash and get back to your life (hopefully with safer cheese).
What’s the Drama with the Cheese?
Here’s the deal: The Ambriola Company, based out of West Caldwell, NJ, has issued a voluntary recall on select cheese products. Why? Because routine testing—thank goodness for safety checks—popped up positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
Now, for the science-y part: Listeria isn’t just a stomach ache waiting to happen. For healthy adults, it usually means a really bad time involving high fever, headaches, stiffness, nausea, and stomach pain. But for the elderly, young kids, folks with weakened immune systems, and especially pregnant women, this bacteria is dangerous. It can cause serious, invasive infections.
The FDA isn’t messing around with this one; they’ve slapped a Class I risk level on this recall. That’s the highest risk category, meaning there is a “reasonable probability” that eating this food will cause serious health problems.
The Recall Suspect List: Is Your Cheese Affected?
This isn’t just one obscure brand. This recall hits some heavy hitters that you likely grab at the deli counter or the warehouse club. We are looking at products distributed nationwide between November 3, 2025, and November 20, 2025.
If you have any of these specific items, do not—I repeat, do not—sprinkle them on your spaghetti.
The Big Brands to Watch:
- Locatelli
- Boar’s Head
- Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club)
- Pinna
- Ambriola
The Specifics (Grab your reading glasses):
Here is the nitty-gritty list. Check the expiration dates and lot numbers on your packaging.
Boar’s Head:
- Grated Pecorino Romano (6 oz cup): Expiration dates 03/04/26, 03/12/26.
- Pecorino Romano Grated (5 lb bag): Lot numbers 1000570093 and 10005707385.
Locatelli:
- Pecorino Romano Grated (4 oz cup): Expiration dates 05/03/26, 05/10/26, 05/17/26.
- Grated Pecorino Romano (8 oz cup): A whole bunch of dates ranging from early April to mid-May 2026. (Specifically: 04/06, 04/11, 04/12, 04/15, 04/17, 05/05, 05/06, 05/07, 05/10, 05/12, 05/14, 05/17).
- Bulk Bags (5 lb & 10 lb): Various lot numbers starting with 100057… (Check the official list if you buy in bulk!).
Member’s Mark:
- Pecorino Romano (1.5 lb bag): Expiration dates 03/25/26, 03/30/26, 04/05/26.
Pinna:
- Grated Pecorino Romano (10 lb bag): Lot number 10005724866.
Ambriola:
- Piccante Grated Pecorino Romano: Various 5lb and 10lb bags with specific lot numbers.
Grated Product Sold by the Pound:
If you bought grated cheese from the deli counter, check the dates.
- Locatelli: Expiring early to mid-March 2026.
- Ambriola: Expiring late Feb to mid-March 2026.
- Pinna: Expiring 03/11/26.
I Have This Cheese. Now What?
First off, don’t panic. As of right now, no illnesses have been reported. We’re trying to keep it that way.
If you find one of these culprits in your fridge, you have two options:
- Trash it. Wrap it up and toss it where no human or critter can get to it.
- Return it. Take it back to the store where you bought it for a full refund.
If you think you ate some of this recently and you’re feeling off (fever, muscle aches, stiff neck), call your doctor. Better safe than sorry.
If you have burning questions, you can actually call The Ambriola Company directly. They are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm ET at 1-800-962-8224.
Stay safe, check your labels, and maybe switch to Parmesan for a few days until this blows over.
