If you have Family Farmstead raw cheddar in your fridge, check it today. Family Farmstead Dairy of Worcester, New York, is recalling all of its cheddar cheese products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The FDA published the company’s announcement on 10 November 2026.

This is the dairy’s second cheddar recall in less than a month. It’s also much bigger than the first, covering more products, more dates and more states.

What Cheese Is Being Recalled?

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The recall covers two Family Farmstead raw cheddar products, both sold in 8-ounce, plastic-wrapped blocks:

• Family Farmstead Raw Mild Cheddar: all lot codes, best-by date 10/16/27 or earlier
• Family Farmstead Raw Sharp Cheddar: all lot codes, best-by date 10/16/27 or earlier

So it isn’t one bad batch. Any Family Farmstead cheddar with an expiration date on or before 16 October 2027 is included. The company says no other Family Farmstead products are part of this recall unless it names them specifically.

Which 12 States Are Affected?

The cheese was sent to retail stores in:

Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

The notice doesn’t say which retailers sold the cheese. If you shop at farm stores, co-ops or specialty cheese counters in these states, check any raw cheddar you’ve bought recently.

How This Recall Started

The trouble started in October. On 15 October 2026, Family Farmstead recalled a single batch of its Raw Mild Cheddar, the batch with a best-by date of 7/22/27, after testing in Maryland found two strains of E. coli in samples. That cheese had been sent to seven states.

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The new recall goes much further. It covers both mild and sharp cheddar, every lot code up to the October 2027 date and 12 states. It is also about a different bacterium: Listeria rather than E. coli.

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October vs November Recall at a Glance

Why Listeria Is a Serious Concern

Listeria is especially risky because, unlike many bacteria, it can keep growing at fridge temperatures. In healthy adults it can cause high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, stomach pain and diarrhoea. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems can get much more seriously ill.

Pregnant women need to be especially careful. Listeria infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, even if the mother only feels mildly unwell. Symptoms can take weeks to show up, so if you ate the cheese and feel sick later, tell your doctor about it.

What You Should Do Now

Don’t eat the cheese, and don’t cook with it either. Raw-milk cheeses aren’t pasteurised, so nothing earlier in production killed off the bacteria. You can return the cheese to the store where you bought it or contact Family Farmstead Dairy directly.

Then clean your fridge. Wipe down shelves, drawers and any containers or cutting boards that touched the cheese, because Listeria can spread to other foods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Family Farmstead cheeses are recalled?
All 8-ounce, plastic-wrapped Raw Mild Cheddar and Raw Sharp Cheddar with a best-by date of 10/16/27 or earlier, whatever the lot code.

Has anyone become sick?
No illnesses have been disclosed in connection with the November recall so far.

Is this the same as the October cheddar recall?
No. The October recall was for E. coli in one batch of mild cheddar sold in seven states. The November recall is for Listeria and covers all cheddar products in 12 states.

Can I cook the cheese to make it safe?
The advice is not to eat or cook with it. Return it or throw it away, then clean anything it touched

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