Y’all, it’s getting messy in the cheese aisle. More than a million bags of shredded cheese sold at major stores like Walmart, Target, and Aldi have been recalled for potentially containing metal fragments, according to an updated FDA report. Looks like some of the cheeses you’ve been sprinkling on your mac and cheese didn’t escape this recall.
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FDA Sends Warning As Cheese Recall Hits 31 States
The recall, first initiated by Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese Co. of Hiram on October 3, affects more than 1 million bags of shredded cheese. The products are noted to be sold at major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Aldi, and Publix, across 31 states and Puerto Rico. The FDA recently upgraded the recall to a Class II, meaning consuming the cheese could cause temporary or medically reversible health issues. The bulk of the recall involves nearly 236,000 cases of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella. However, Italian-style and pizza-style shredded cheese blends—including mixes with provolone, parmesan, asiago, and mozzarella—are also affected. Shoppers in states such as California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois are urged to check their fridges carefully.
Check Your Fridge: Popular Cheese Brands Pulled From Shelves
According to reports, the recalled products were sold in plastic bags ranging from 8 oz. to 5 lb. And, the products are under multiple brand names, including Good & Gather, Great Value, Publix, and others. All items carry sell-by dates from January to March 2026, and UPC numbers for every affected product are listed in the FDA report. Great Lakes Cheese confirmed that all recalled products have been removed from store shelves and replaced with safe alternatives. But anyone still holding onto bags from the October batches should discard them or return them for a refund.
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The FDA warns that the metal fragments in the cheese could cause internal injuries if consumed. They also emphasized that the recall includes items even in the freezer. With shredded cheese being a grocery staple for everything from pizza to macaroni and cheese, consumers are being urged to double-check their refrigerators and freezers before cooking with any of the affected products. If you stocked up on shredded cheese recently, now might be a good time to take a second look at that fridge… because no one wants metal in their appetizer.
Click here to see the full FDA list of impacted products.
The TL Gave Us A Mouthful
When the news dropped, folks jumped into The Shade Room Instagram comments and gave us a mouthful. Some joked that now they finally knew why their mac and cheese wasn’t hitting. Meanwhile, others wondered why the cheese had even been on sale. Meanwhile, others just wanted to know why we had to wait until after Thanksgiving to get the heads-up.
One Instagram user @_o.y.a.n_ said, “So that wasn’t the foil pan y’all tasted 🥴”
This Instagram user @jaquirireigns added “We ate all this cheese for Thanksgiving and yall just now telling us 🙄now we pray 😫😂”
And, Instagram user @jstlbby wrote “OMG!! no wonder they were 2 for $5.00 WELP, pray for me 🤦🏾♀️🤣”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @abrilelon shared, “Well since we all still alive today from last Thursday I think it’s all good. 😂🤸🏽♂️”
While Instagram user @madysonsymphony added, “😒….thanksgiving already happened and my mama mac and cheese was amazing. 🤷🏽♀️”
Finally, Instagram user @tharealslattt revealed, “I knewwww my grandma Mac was metaly.“
