The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a high alert this week about last month’s voluntary recall of a cheese product sold at Trader Joe’s due to bacterial contamination.
The FDA has since designated the recall a Class 1 event.
“This is the first product recall in Face Rock Creamery’s history, and it was initiated voluntarily out of an abundance of caution,” Face Rock Creamery president Gregory Drobot told NTD. “Routine quality testing identified the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes in two specific lots of our Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds.”
A Class 2 recall is for products that might cause temporary or reversible health issues, but where the risk of serious harm is lower and Class 3 recalls involve products that violate regulations but are unlikely to cause health problems, such as minor labeling errors, according to Northeastern University professor, food safety expert, and Alliance for Recall Ready Communities adviser Darin Detwiler.
“A recall is not necessarily a sign of negligence or failure on the part of the food company,” Detwiler told NTD. “In many cases, it actually reflects that the company has effective food safety and quality systems in place—systems capable of detecting a problem and taking responsible action to protect consumers.”
The product was distributed in some of Trader Joe’s retail stores in California and Oregon.
Listeria monocytogenes is a disease-causing bacterium that can be found in many places, including soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation, and animals, according to the FDA website.
“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women,” the FDA said.
The Vampire Slayer Garlic Cheddar Curds product is packaged in a clear, sealed plastic cup with a lid and has the UPC 8 51222 00528 7. Lot numbers are 20250519VS01 and 20250519VS02, and the expiration date is Aug. 29, 2025.
