FDA Orders Recall of 250,000 Cheese Boxes Due to Metal Contamination

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall of 250,000 boxes of shredded cheese due to possible metal fragment contamination. The recall, which is classified as Class II, indicates a moderate health risk to consumers. These products were distributed under various retail brands, including Good & Gather (Target), Great Value (Walmart), and Happy Farms (Aldi), impacting over 30 states such as California, Florida, and New York, as well as Puerto Rico.

The manufacturer, Great Lakes Cheese Co., initiated the recall following the identification of metal fragments in the raw materials supplied by third-party vendors. This mass recall underscores potential vulnerabilities in the quality control processes of private label suppliers. Despite the recall beginning in October, the FDA has kept the status as 'ongoing' as of December, meaning recovery efforts are still active in retail channels.

The affected cheese was sold through major retailers like Target, Walmart, and Aldi, illustrating the significant reach of a single processing company in the U.S. cheese market. The FDA's classification of the recall as Class II suggests that while the metal fragments could cause temporary health issues such as mouth cuts or digestive discomfort, they are unlikely to result in serious or lasting health effects.

This incident highlights the challenges faced by the cheese processing industry, particularly the reliance on extensive supplier networks where a single point of failure can have widespread implications. Great Lakes Cheese Co. has not released an official statement regarding the recall, and no further comments have been made available from the company at this time.