FDA issues its most severe warning as cheese recall expands nationwide — key details revealed
To say that there has been a surge in product recalls in the past couple of years would be an understatement. According to a recent report by The Street, there has been a whopping 200% increase in recalls in Q3 of 2025. Companies are doing whatever it takes to make sure that potentially deadly products do not end up with consumers, even before there are reports of any serious illness. The latest to be recalled are the Ambriola Company’s Pecorino Romano cheese products.
The Italian cheese importer is recalling specific products made from Pecorino Romano after routine testing of them revealed the presence of the bacterium Listeria, which can cause serious illness, especially in older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems. What is even more concerning is that the FDA classified it as a Class I, its most serious warning label.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Company is also recalling additional cheese products processed at the same facility in West Caldwell, New Jersey,” the FDA statement added. While there have not been any reported cases of customers suffering any of the aforementioned symptoms, it is better to be safe than sorry in such matters. Listeria is a serious illness that can lead to death, and that is something that the FDA and the company involved would want to avoid.
“We take food safety very seriously and immediately alerted stores and distributors to remove the affected products from shelves,” Ambriola Company Chief Executive Officer Phil Marfuggi said. “We are working closely with the FDA and continuing to test our products and facilities to fully understand the situation.” The company has also said that it has suspended production and distribution of affected cheeses as it reviews its sanitation and food safety procedures.
This certainly does not look good for the Ambriola Company, and the same can be said for Boar’s Head. It is one of the companies that distributed the affected products, and this is not the first time it has found itself in such a situation. The Street report states that in 2024, nine people were killed and another 57 were hospitalized with illness after consuming deli meats sold by the company.
Boar’s Head claimed that it was doing whatever possible to make sure that customers could enjoy safe, high-quality foods, even though that might not have been the case of late. "Boar’s Head took immediate action to halt the purchase of these products from The Ambriola Company, notify retail partners, and ensure that the affected products are being removed from distribution nationally," a company statement said as per a USA Today report.
The FDA report claims that the affected products were distributed to retail stores and distributors nationwide between November 3, 2025, and November 20, 2025. People who have bought the affected products should avoid consumption and get them to a retailer for a refund.
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