The Boar’s Head Cheese Recall Just Got Very Scary, Here’s What to Know

Food recalls are depressingly common, and fresh goods like deli meat and cheese products are often involved. In November 2025, we saw that yet again, when food giant Boar’s Head became involved in a wide-scale recall for its grated pecorino romano product. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration previously announced that Boar’s Head items and cheese products under several other brand names, produced by The Ambrolia Company, were due to be recalled after Listeria monocytogenes bacteria were found after routine testing of items processed by its facility. Although no illnesses had been reported at the time, multiple batches of grated pecorino romano, an alternative to Parmesan cheese, had to be tracked down.

Fast forward a few months, though, and things have escalated even further. The recall, and all of the products involved in it, have just been given a Class I classification by the FDA. And that’s pretty serious.

Class I Recalls Have the Highest Risk of Harm

The FDA routinely classifies its recalls based on their risk to health, and Class I recalls represent the highest degree of potential hazard. According to the FDA website, Class I recalls are given in “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The classification is reflective of the serious nature of Listeria infection. In many individuals, Listeria produces classic food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, fever, headache, and diarrhea. However, in younger and older people, and those with compromised immune systems, it can be dangerous and potentially fatal. 

The Affected Products Have Been Distributed Across 20 States

The cheese recall is made more complicated by the fact that the affected products had been shipped to, and sold in, 20 different states. Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and New York are just a few of the places that the Boar’s Head product was distributed to, with the entire list on the FDA website. Furthermore, each brand shipped hundreds, if not thousands, of individual units and bags of their product.

As for the brand names affected, Boar’s Head is arguably the most prominent, but Locatelli, Pinna, and Ambrolia grated pecorino romano products have also been recalled. Additionally, pecorino romano cheese sold under the Sam’s brand name at Sam’s Club locations around the country has been affected by the recall and could be contaminated. These products all have expiration dates ranging from March to May 2026, with the exact dates available on the USDA website. 

This isn’t the first time that Boar’s Head has been involved in a major recall in recent memory. Back in July 2024, it had to recall millions of pounds of meat and poultry products, after batches tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. As with that recall, if you have bought any cheese products that you think might be affected, you should either dispose of them or return them to your retailer for a refund.