Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with Wegmans’ scale labels.     

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Consumers who purchased a popular grated cheese from Wegmans stores are being urged to check their refrigerators after a recall was issued for the product.

Wegmans Food Markets said on Wednesday, Nov. 26, that it is recalling Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese after learning the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company said the cheese was sold in stores across several states between Thursday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 24.

The recall applies to cheese packaged in plastic tubs labeled Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with UPC 2-77580-XXXXX-7, where the final digits vary based on weight. Wegmans said all lot codes are covered and the product has been removed from store shelves. 

The recall was initiated after the retailer was notified by its supplier that the cheese could contain Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious illness, particularly among young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

The company said the cheese was sold in stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, DC. No illnesses have been reported. Wegmans has 114 stores across the east coast.

Listeria infection can lead to symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The illness can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Healthy individuals may experience only short-term symptoms.

Wegmans is urging customers who bought the cheese to return it for a full refund. The company’s customer service line, 1-855-934-3663, will operate on Wednesday, Nov. 26, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 27, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 28, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and beginning Saturday, Nov. 29, daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.