FDA orders recall of 250,000 cheese boxes due to metal contamination

USA – 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 manufacturer, Great Lakes Cheese Co., initiated the recall following the identification of metal fragments in the raw materials supplied by third-party vendors.

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.

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.

 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.

Wells Enterprises issues ice cream recall over plastic contamination

Recently, Wells Enterprises, an ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturer, recalled batches of its ice cream products across the country due to the possible presence of plastics.

According to the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report, the products were shipped to nearly 103 food service locations in the United States.

The recall, initiated by Wells Enterprises on April 25, affected 22 different varieties of ice cream and frozen yoghurt distributed to 103 centres located in the USA.

The company pulled the products over concerns that plastic had been introduced during preparation. Wells Enterprises oversees brands that include Blue Bunny, Halo Top and Johnny Rockets.

The FDA listed the recall as Class II, meaning that it is a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.

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