Boar’s Head recalls pecorino romano cheese sold at Kroger over listeria contamination

SARASOTA, FL (November 23, 2025) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Supreme Service Solutions LLC (dba Supreme Deli) is assisting in a recall for items purchased from Boar’s Head Brand’s supplier of pecorino romano cheese. Ambriola Company has issued a recall for select SKUs of pecorino romano cheese products, including two products they produce under the Boar’s Head Brand label, due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes. According to the FDA, consuming food contaminated with listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. No illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported to date for items purchased from Supreme.

Boar’s Head recall: Quick summary

Ambriola Company, the supplier for Boar’s Head’s pecorino romano cheese, has issued a Class I recall for select cheese products due to potential listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall includes Boar’s Head Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (6 oz) and FS Grated Romano Cheese, affecting products with sell by dates ranging from November 21, 2025, to March 12, 2026. In addition, Boar’s Head has made the decision to withdraw all products Ambriola Company produces for Boar’s Head as a precautionary measure. The recalled items were distributed in Kroger retail stores located in Kentucky and Indiana. Supreme Deli also recalled prepared food items made with the affected cheese, including EverRoast Chicken Caesar Salad and Wraps sold in clear plastic grab and go containers. Consumers who purchased these products should not consume them and should discard them immediately, as the contamination was discovered after the FDA notified Ambriola Company.

Want to know more about what happened? Keep reading.

What happened?

The FDA said Ambriola Company initiated the recall after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified them that the pecorino romano cheese products were associated with potential listeria monocytogenes contamination. Supreme Deli, which purchases cheese from Ambriola Company to make prepared food items, is assisting in the recall effort.

In addition to the cheese products, Supreme Deli recalled prepared food items that contained the affected cheese. These include EverRoast Chicken Caesar Salad and EverRoast Chicken Caesar Wrap, which were packaged in clear plastic grab and go containers and sold at Kroger retail stores in Kentucky and Indiana.

The recall was announced on November 23, 2025, in coordination with the FDA. Ambriola Company has issued a Class I recall for the items due to potential adulteration with Listeria monocytogenes, which is defined by the FDA as 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.

In its recall alert, the FDA confirmed that listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Affected products

Brand	Product	Size	UPC	Sell by date	Issue	Distribution
Boar’s Head	Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese	6 oz	042421 05858	11/21/25 – 3/12/26	Listeria	KY, IN (Kroger)
FS	Grated Romano Cheese	Item Code 15119	042421 15119	11/21/25 – 3/12/26	Listeria	KY, IN (Kroger)
Boar’s Head	EverRoast Chicken Caesar Salad	Various	850042244142	11/9/25 – 11/22/25	Listeria	KY, IN (Kroger)
Boar’s Head	EverRoast Chicken Caesar Wrap	Various	85004224455	11/9/25 – 11/22/25	Listeria	KY, IN (Kroger)

What caused the issue?

According to the FDA notice, the potential contamination was discovered by Ambriola Company after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified them that the pecorino romano cheese products were associated with reported contamination concerns. Ambriola Company has issued a Class I recall for the items due to potential adulteration with Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can survive refrigeration and even freezing temperatures, making it particularly dangerous in ready to eat food products. The agency confirmed that the recalled cheese products were used as ingredients in prepared salads and wraps, expanding the scope of products affected.

People most at risk from listeria include young children, elderly adults, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of listeria infection can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In pregnant women, listeria infection can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or life threatening infection to the newborn.

Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, killing roughly 260 people per year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fortunately, no illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported to date for items purchased from Supreme.

Questions you might have

1. What should I do if I already consumed this product? Monitor yourself for symptoms of listeria infection including fever, muscle aches, nausea, or diarrhea. If you experience any symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately, especially if you are pregnant, elderly, or have a weakened immune system.
2. How can I identify if I have the recalled product? Check for the UPC codes and sell by dates listed above. For cheese products, look for sell by dates between 11/21/25 and 3/12/26. For prepared foods, check for best by dates between 11/9/25 and 11/22/25.
3. Where can I return the recalled product? The products are past their shelf life and should already be out of distribution. If you have any product, discard it immediately rather than returning it.
4. What are the symptoms of listeria infection? Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Pregnant women may experience miscarriage or stillbirth.
5. Are other Boar’s Head products affected? Boar’s Head has voluntarily withdrawn all products that Ambriola Company produces for them as a precautionary measure, including Pre cut Pecorino Romano not directly affected by the recall.
6. How did the listeria contamination occur? The FDA notified Ambriola Company that the pecorino romano cheese products were associated with potential contamination. The specific source is under investigation.
7. Have any illnesses been reported? No illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported to date for items purchased from Supreme.
8. Who should I contact with questions about the recall? Contact Ambriola Company at [email protected] or Boar’s Head at 800 352 6277 with questions or concerns.
9. Is it safe to eat if I’m not in a vulnerable population? No. Listeria can cause serious illness in healthy individuals as well. Anyone who consumed the product should monitor for symptoms.
10. Where were the recalled products sold? The recalled items were distributed in Kroger retail stores located in Kentucky and Indiana.

Here’s what you should do

If you purchased Boar’s Head pecorino romano cheese or prepared foods containing it:

• Do not consume the products even if they appear normal or smell fine
• Discard immediately as the products are past their shelf life
• Check your refrigerator for any products with the UPC codes and dates listed above
• Clean surfaces that may have come in contact with the cheese, as listeria can spread to other foods and surfaces
• Monitor for symptoms if you have already consumed the product, especially if you are in a vulnerable population
• Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any symptoms of listeria infection
• Report adverse events to the FDA through MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch

Behind the brand

Boar’s Head was established in 1905 when Frank Brunckhorst set out to craft products of uncompromising standards by using only the finest ingredients. What began as a small operation in Brooklyn, New York, has grown into America’s leading premium deli meat and cheese company. Today, Boar’s Head products are distributed throughout the United States, with the company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida since 2001.

The company remains privately owned by descendants of the founder and has built its reputation on quality craftsmanship and premium ingredients. Boar’s Head offers over 500 products, ranging from delicatessen meats and cheeses to condiments, hummus, and snacking items. The brand prides itself on using whole cuts of meat and cheese, with no fillers, by products, or artificial ingredients.

However, this recall comes less than a year after Boar’s Head faced one of the deadliest listeria outbreaks in U.S. history. In July 2024, the company recalled over 7 million pounds of deli meat products linked to 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations across 19 states. That outbreak resulted in the permanent closure of the company’s Jarratt, Virginia plant and the discontinuation of liverwurst products. The 2024 outbreak exposed serious sanitation issues at Boar’s Head facilities, including black mold, contaminated surfaces, and inadequate cleaning procedures.

Source86 reached out to Boar’s Head for comment on how this latest recall impacts consumer confidence following last year’s deadly outbreak, but has not yet received a response beyond the official recall statement.

Other relevant recalls

In July 2025, Hartford Bakery issued an allergy alert for Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style Bread after discovering visible hazelnuts in loaves mistakenly labeled as white bread products. The error occurred due to a packaging change that was not properly managed, affecting 883 loaves distributed across 12 states. While the bag included a generic “May Contain Tree Nuts” statement, it failed to disclose that the bread definitely contained hazelnuts, a critical omission for allergic consumers.

The Boar’s Head recall stems from a larger contamination event at the supplier level. The Ambriola Company issued a comprehensive recall on November 25, 2025, after routine testing confirmed Listeria monocytogenes at its West Caldwell, New Jersey facility. The Ambriola recall affects multiple brands including Locatelli, Member’s Mark, Pinna, and Ambriola branded pecorino romano distributed nationwide between November 3 and November 20, 2025, at major retailers including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Wegmans, and Kroger. The company has suspended production while conducting a thorough review of sanitation procedures.

Eran Mizrahi, CEO of Source86, said:

“Coming so soon after last year’s deadly outbreak, this recall underscores how critical it is for food manufacturers to maintain unwavering vigilance in food safety protocols. Listeria’s ability to survive cold temperatures makes it particularly challenging in dairy and ready to eat products. For suppliers and manufacturers, every batch, every production run, and every quality check matters. Consumer trust, once lost, is incredibly difficult to rebuild.”

Ensuring safe eats

This recall serves as a reminder that listeria remains a persistent threat in dairy products and ready to eat foods. Listeria monocytogenes can survive refrigeration and even freezing, making proper sanitation and environmental monitoring critical in cheese production facilities. Food manufacturers must implement comprehensive listeria control programs that include regular environmental testing, proper sanitation protocols, and verification systems to ensure products are safe before reaching consumers.

For consumers who purchased the recalled Boar’s Head pecorino romano cheese or prepared foods containing it, the guidance is clear: discard the products immediately and do not consume them. The products are past their shelf life and should already be out of distribution, but anyone who has these items should dispose of them safely.

At Source86, we help food brands strengthen supply chain oversight, implement rigorous FSQA protocols, and maintain comprehensive environmental monitoring programs designed to detect and prevent listeria contamination before products reach consumers. Our approach includes supplier verification, facility audits, and rapid response systems that enable swift action when testing detects concerns. Contact us to learn how we can help protect your brand and your customers.