FDA recalls shredded cheese sold at popular retailers ALDI, Target, Walmart, and others.

Before adding cheese to your favorite dishes, check if your shredded cheese is part of a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall. Great Lakes Cheese Co. is recalling more than 1.5 million bags of various shredded cheese products due to the potential presence of metal fragments.

The company supplies shredded cheese to numerous retailers, often under private store-brand labels sold at ALDI, Target, Walmart, Publix, Sprouts, and others. The affected products were distributed across 31 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

The FDA first announced the recall in October but upgraded it to a Class II recall on December 1, warning that consuming the products "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences." Metal fragments originating from supplier raw materials can cause serious injuries, including dental damage, cuts in the mouth or throat, or intestinal laceration or perforation.

Recalled Products

The recall affects a wide range of shredded cheeses, including:

• Shredded Italian-style, pizza style, mozzarella, mozzarella & provolone, and mozzarella & Parmesan blends
• Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
• Always Save Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
• Brookshires Finely Shredded, Shredded, and Thick Cut
• H-E-B Shredded, Thick, and Shredded/Fancy
• Finamente Rallado (Mexico only)
• Hill Country Fare Shredded and Shredded/Rallado (Mexico only)
• Know & Love Fine Cut, Classic Cut, and Thick Cut
• Laura Lynn Finely Shredded, Shredded, and Thick Cut
• Lucerne Dairy Farms Finely Shredded, Shredded, and Rustic Cut
• Simply Go Classic Cut Shredded and Rustic Cut Shredded
• Sprouts Farmers Market Finely Shredded and Shredded
• Stater Bros. Markets Finely Shredded and Shredded
• Happy Farms by ALDI Italian Style Shredded Cheese Blend
• Brookshire's Italian 6-Cheese Finely Shredded
• Cache Valley Creamery Six Cheese Italian Finely Shredded
• Coburn Farms Italian Style Finely Shredded
• Great Value Italian Style Finely Shredded
• Publix Italian Six Cheese Blend Fancy Shredded
• Simply Go Italian Style Six Cheese Blend Fine Cut Shredded
• Food Club Finely Shredded Pizza Style Four Cheese Blend
• Food Club Pizza Style Two Cheese Blend Finely Shredded and Shredded
• Simply Go Pizza Blend Two Cheese Mix Classic Cut Shredded
• Good & Gather Mozzarella & Provolone Classic
• Great Lakes Cheese Mozzarella & Provolone Shredded
• Great Value Provolone & Mozzarella Blend Shredded
• Good & Gather Mozzarella & Parmesan Shredded Cheese Blend Fine Cut

For a full list of affected products, including package sizes, UPC codes, batch numbers, and expiration dates, visit the FDA website.

The recall is voluntary, and the FDA advises consumers who have these products not to eat them. Dispose of the cheese or return it to the store for a full refund.

Author: Sophia Brooks