Wegmans recalls Locatelli grated pecorino romano cheese over listeria contamination

ROCHESTER, NY (November 22, 2025) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Wegmans Food Markets is recalling Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with Wegmans’ scale labels due to the potential presence of Listeria monocytogenes. According to the FDA, this organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Wegmans recall: Quick summary

Wegmans Food Markets has initiated a voluntary recall of Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese after being notified by its supplier that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The cheese, packaged in plastic tubs with varying weights, was sold at Wegmans stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington DC between November 14 and November 24, 2025. All lot codes have been recalled and removed from shelves. The recall is part of a larger listeria concern affecting pecorino romano cheese supplied by Ambriola Company, which has also prompted recalls from other major retailers including Boar’s Head, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Big Y. Consumers who purchased this product should return it immediately to Wegmans for a full refund.

Want to know more about what happened? Keep reading.

What happened?

The FDA said Wegmans initiated the recall after being notified by its supplier that Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company told regulators the recall was prompted by supplier notification rather than internal testing or consumer complaints.

The recall was announced on November 22, 2025, in coordination with the FDA. Wegmans Food Markets, headquartered in Rochester, New York, distributed the affected cheese through its retail locations across 10 states and Washington DC. The product was sold between November 14 and November 24, 2025, giving the recall a 10 day distribution window.

The recalled Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese comes packaged in plastic tubs with Wegmans’ scale labels. The UPC format is 2 77580 XXXXX 7, where the five X digits vary based upon the weight of the package. All lot codes are included in this recall, making it a comprehensive action affecting every unit sold during the specified timeframe.

In its recall alert, the FDA warned that Listeria monocytogenes is “an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.”

The agency further stated:

“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”

While Wegmans has not posted about this specific recall on social media platforms, the broader Ambriola Company listeria issue has generated significant consumer concern online. Food safety advocates have emphasized the seriousness of listeria contamination in ready to eat cheese products, particularly given the bacterium’s ability to survive refrigeration temperatures.

Affected products

Brand	Product	Size	UPC	Sold between	Issue	Distribution
Locatelli	Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese	Variable	2 77580 XXXXX 7	11/14/25 – 11/24/25	Listeria	CT, DE, MD, MA, NC, NJ, NY, PA, VA, DC

What caused the issue?

According to the FDA notice, the recall was triggered when Wegmans was notified by its supplier that the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The supplier, later identified as Ambriola Company, discovered the contamination through routine testing and alerted all retailers carrying affected products.

Company officials said in the statement that all lot codes have been recalled as a precautionary measure. The agency confirmed that Listeria monocytogenes is particularly dangerous because it can survive and even grow in refrigerated conditions, making contaminated cheese a persistent threat in home refrigerators.

Listeria is one of the most serious foodborne pathogens, capable of causing severe illness and death in vulnerable populations. People most at risk include young children, elderly adults, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. For pregnant women, listeria infection poses especially grave risks, potentially causing miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life threatening infection in newborns.

Symptoms of listeriosis typically include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, the infection can spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract to cause meningitis or septicemia. Symptoms can appear anywhere from a few days to several weeks after consuming contaminated food.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, with an estimated 1,600 infections and 260 deaths annually. The bacterium is particularly insidious because it can multiply at refrigerator temperatures, unlike most other foodborne pathogens.

Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall. However, because listeria infections can take weeks to develop, health officials urge anyone who consumed the recalled cheese to monitor for symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if any develop.

Questions you might have

1. What should I do if I already consumed this product? Monitor yourself for symptoms of listeria infection including high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. If you are pregnant, elderly, or have a weakened immune system, contact your healthcare provider immediately, even if you have no symptoms.
2. How can I identify if I have the recalled product? Check your refrigerator for Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese in plastic tubs with Wegmans’ scale labels. The UPC will be in the format 2 77580 XXXXX 7 (where XXXXX varies by weight). All lot codes sold between November 14 and November 24, 2025, are affected.
3. Where can I return the recalled product? Return the product to any Wegmans store location for a full refund. No receipt is required.
4. What are the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes exposure? Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In pregnant women, listeria can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or severe newborn infection. Symptoms typically appear within a few days to several weeks after consuming contaminated food.
5. Are other Wegmans cheese products affected? Only Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese with Wegmans’ scale labels sold between November 14 and November 24, 2025, is affected by this specific Wegmans recall.
6. How did the contamination occur? The contamination originated at the supplier level. Ambriola Company, which supplies the cheese, discovered Listeria monocytogenes through routine testing and notified all retailers.
7. Have any illnesses been reported? No illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported to date in connection with this recall.
8. Who should I contact with questions about the recall? Contact Wegmans Food Markets at 1 855 934 3663. Hours vary: 11/26 from 8am-8pm; 11/27 from 8am-1pm; 11/28 from 8am-4:30pm; starting 11/29 daily from 8am-7pm.
9. Why is listeria particularly dangerous in cheese? Listeria monocytogenes can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperatures, unlike most other foodborne pathogens. This makes contaminated cheese a persistent threat even when properly stored.
10. Which states were affected by this recall? The product was sold at Wegmans stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington DC.

Here’s what you should do

If you purchased Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese from Wegmans:

• Return the product immediately to any Wegmans store for a full refund
• Do not consume the product, even if it looks, smells, and tastes normal
• Check the UPC for the format 2 77580 XXXXX 7 on plastic tubs with Wegmans’ scale labels
• Verify purchase dates to confirm you bought the product between November 14 and November 24, 2025
• Clean and sanitize any surfaces, utensils, or containers that came in contact with the cheese, as listeria can spread
• Monitor for symptoms if you have already consumed the product, especially if you are in a high risk group
• Contact Wegmans at 1 855 934 3663 with questions (check recall notice for specific hours)
• Seek medical attention immediately if you develop symptoms of listeria infection, particularly if you are pregnant

Behind the brand

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a regional supermarket chain with 114 stores located along the East Coast. The family company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by Fortune for 28 consecutive years, ranking #6 in 2025.

Founded in Rochester, New York, Wegmans has built a reputation for high quality products, customer service, and employee satisfaction. The company operates stores across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington DC.

Source86 reached out to Wegmans for comment on how the contamination was discovered and what additional safety measures are being implemented, but has not yet received a response beyond the official recall statement.

The company’s recall notice states that it was notified by its supplier about the potential contamination and immediately initiated the recall and removed all affected products from shelves.

Other relevant recalls

This recall is part of a wider listeria contamination issue affecting pecorino romano cheese supplied by Ambriola Company. The contamination has triggered a massive multi-retailer cheese recall affecting Wegmans, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, and other major retailers across the United States. In addition to the Wegmans recall, Ambriola Company issued a comprehensive recall on November 25, 2025, affecting multiple brands including Boar’s Head, Member’s Mark, Locatelli, Pinna, and Ambriola branded products distributed nationwide between November 3 and November 20, 2025. The widespread nature of this recall demonstrates how supplier level contamination can rapidly cascade across the entire retail food system, affecting numerous brands and stores simultaneously.

Eran Mizrahi, CEO of Source86, said:

“The cascading nature of this recall—affecting multiple brands and retailers supplied by a single processor—underscores how critical supplier verification and testing protocols are in the food industry. When contamination occurs at the processing level, it can quickly spread across the entire distribution network. This is why Source86 emphasizes comprehensive HACCP plans, environmental monitoring, and rapid response systems. Food safety isn’t just about one company’s practices; it’s about the integrity of the entire supply chain. For retailers and brands, this means rigorous supplier audits, incoming product testing, and maintaining robust traceability systems that enable swift action when issues arise.”

Ensuring safe eats

This recall highlights the persistent challenge of controlling listeria in dairy processing environments. Unlike many foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperatures, making it particularly dangerous in ready to eat products like grated cheese. The bacterium’s ability to form biofilms on processing equipment means that even facilities with good sanitation practices can harbor contamination.

For food manufacturers and processors, comprehensive environmental monitoring programs are essential. These programs must include regular testing of food contact surfaces, environmental samples from processing areas, and finished product testing. When listeria is detected, processors must conduct thorough investigations to identify the source and implement corrective actions that go beyond surface cleaning to address root causes.

For consumers who purchased Locatelli Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese from Wegmans between November 14 and November 24, 2025, the guidance is clear: return the product immediately for a refund and do not consume it. Clean and sanitize any surfaces that contacted the cheese, as listeria can spread to other foods and surfaces in your refrigerator.

At Source86, we help food brands implement rigorous food safety protocols, conduct comprehensive supplier audits, and develop environmental monitoring programs designed to detect and prevent listeria contamination before products reach consumers. Our approach includes supplier verification, facility assessments, HACCP plan development, and rapid response systems that enable swift action when testing detects concerns. We work with retailers and food manufacturers to strengthen their quality assurance programs and ensure every link in the supply chain meets the highest safety standards. Contact us!