The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has assigned a risk classification to a previous voluntary recall of various shredded cheese products sold at ALDI, Target, Walmart and other national retailers due to potential metal contamination.
Below, find out what to know about the recall, as well as what steps to take if you have any impacted product in your fridge.
Great Lakes Cheese Co Inc. first initiated the voluntary recall with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration back on Oct. 3. The company said some products may potentially contain metal fragments from "supplier raw material," according to an FDA report.
On Monday, Dec. 1, the FDA assigned the recall a Class II designation, which means that "use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," according to the agency.
Great Lakes Cheese Co Inc. told ABC News in a statement that it was first notified of the issue in early October by a supplier of its low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese. The company said the supplier informed Great Lakes Cheese that it was "recalling cheese they had supplied to us due to foreign material."
"Great Lakes Cheese immediately isolated the affected raw material in our facilities and took action to remove packaged goods containing this item," the company stated. "We instructed retailers to remove the products from store shelves after the announcement in October. When we were confident all recalled products had been removed from store shelves, we distributed new product that did not have the potential to contain foreign material and was safe."
Although the recall status is "marked as ongoing in the enforcement report," Great Lakes Cheese said the company's "records show all product has been fully removed from store shelves" and "products currently on retail shelves are safe to consume and not associated with the October recall."
Households in possession of any recalled cheese products should discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a refund, the company said.
Great Lakes Cheese sells its products under dozens of private label store brands at ALDI, Target, Walmart, Publix, Sprouts and other retailers.
The affected products were distributed across 31 states and Puerto Rico. Impacted states include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
There are a variety of blends, cuts and different size products affected, including shredded Italian-style, pizza-style, mozzarella, mozzarella and provolone, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Click here for a full list of products with additional package sizes, UPC codes, "best by" dates and other pertinent information from the FDA.
Always Save
Borden
Brookshire's
Cache Valley Creamery
Chestnut Hill
Coburn Farms
Econo
Food Club
Food Lion
Gold Rush Creamery
Good & Gather
Great Lakes Cheese
Great Value
Happy Farms by Aldi
H-E-B
Hill Country Fare
Know & Love
Laura Lynn
Lucerne Dairy Farms
Nu Farm
Publix
Schnuck's
Simply Go
Sprouts Farmers Market
Stater Bros. Markets
Sunnyside Farms
Brookshire's Italian 6-Cheese
Cache Valley Creamery Six Cheese Italian
Coburn Farms Italian Style
Great Value Italian Style
Know & Love Italian Style
Laura Lynn Italian Blend
Publix Italian Six Cheese Blend
Simply Go Italian Style Six Cheese Blend
Food Club Finely Shredded Pizza Style Four Cheese Blend
Econo Pizza
Food Club Pizza Style Two Cheese Blend
Gold Rush Creamery Pizza Blend
Great Value Pizza Blend
Laura Lynn Pizza Blend
Simply Go Pizza Blend Two Cheese Mix
Freedom's Choice Pizza Blend
Good & Gather Mozzarella & Provolone
Great Lakes Cheese Mozzarella & Provolone
Great Value Provolone & Mozzarella Blend
Good & Gather Mozzarella & Parmesan Blend
Happy Farms (Aldi) Italian Style Blend
On its website, the FDA urges consumers to check their homes for any recalled food items and to avoid giving the product to others, "such as a food bank or a pet."
"Often, recalled products may be returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund," the agency states. "If not, dispose of the product properly -- if it's contaminated, wrap it securely before putting it in the trash."
The FDA also states that consumers should thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with contaminated food and to contact their health care provider to report any symptoms if they believe they may have consumed recalled food.
Editor's note: This article was updated to include a statement from Great Lakes Cheese Co Inc.
