Agency classClass IOur severity:Critical FDA (Food)·H-0631-2025·Announced 2025-10-01

Pepper jack cheese loaves recalled over potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op All Natural Pepper Jack Cheese, in 5 lb loaves and 2 lb deli bags, is recalled for potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The FDA classified the action as Class I.

The agency’s classification

FDA (Food): Class I

Class I is a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 5/5 (Critical).

Highest-severity recall. The hazard can cause serious injury or death. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The rubric assigns 5 to any FDA Class I recall, and the FDA classified this Listeria monocytogenes action as Class I.

Plain-English summary

Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op All Natural Pepper Jack Cheese is being recalled, packaged as 5 lb loaves wrapped in plastic and packed two loaves per case for distribution or eight loaves per case for retail, or sliced and packaged as 2 lb deli bags packed five bags per case. Affected sell-by dates are 2/13/2026 and 9/3/2025. The recall covers 364.125 cases, or 7,455 pounds in total, distributed in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Texas.

The recall was issued because of potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The FDA classified the action as Class I, the category the agency uses when there is a reasonable probability that exposure will cause serious health consequences or death.

Businesses and consumers holding cheese matching these sell-by dates should not eat it and should follow the recalling firm's instructions for return or disposal. Because Listeria infection can take weeks to produce symptoms, anyone who has eaten the product and feels unwell should tell their doctor what they ate.

The recalled product

Product: 1) Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op All Natural Pepper Jack Cheese, packaged as 5 lb. loaves wrapped in plastic and packed 2 loaves per case (distribution) or 8 loaves per case (retail), or sliced and packaged as 2 lb. deli bags and packed 5 bags per case 2) Middlefield…
Manufacturer: Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative
Category: Food — Cheese
Hazard: listeria-monocytogenes
pathogen-contamination
cheese
class-i

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Lot numbers (1)

1) Sell by: 2/13/2026 2) Sell by: 9/3/2025

Distribution

Distributed in 4 states:

Part of a larger recall action

This product is one of 9 recalled by Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative under a single FDA (Food) recall action. The agency files each product separately, so the size of the action is not visible from this page alone.

See all 9 products in this recall →

Same manufacturer · Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative

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