A New Jersey importer of Italian cheeses is recalling several products over potential listeria contamination, including items under the Boar’s Head and Locatelli brands.
The Ambriola Company announced the recall last week. It affects retail packages of Pecorino Romano cheese sold by Locatelli, Boar’s Head and Member’s Mark, as well as grated Pecorino Romano sold by the pound under the Ambriola, Pinna, Locatelli and Boar’s Head labels.
Company officials said that “routine testing” confirmed the presence of listeria monocytogenes bacteria; some of the impacted products were processed at the same facility in West Caldwell, New Jersey, and were recalled out of “an abundance of caution,” the company said.
The affected products were sent to retail stores and distributors nationwide between Nov. 3 and Nov. 20. The company said that it has suspended production and distribution of those products amid “a thorough review of all sanitation and food safety procedures.”
No illnesses related to the recalled products have been reported to date. Those who purchased the products should either dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a refund, the company wrote in a recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“We take food safety very seriously and immediately alerted stores and distributors to remove the affected products from shelves,” Ambriola CEO Phil Marfuggi said in the notice. “We are working closely with the FDA and continuing to test our products and facilities to fully understand the situation.”
