The FDA Is Warning Shoppers About This Aldi Cheese Recalled From Ohio And 3 Other States

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently got involved with a voluntary Aldi cheese recall. In February, Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc. initiated a recall of Aldi's Happy Farms Colby Jack cheese for the potential unintended presence of stainless steel fragments. But as of March 19, the recall was upgraded to the FDA's Class II categorization, indicating that exposure to the fragments carries little chance of "serious adverse health consequences," but may still "cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," per the FDA website.

The recall affects 12 oz., flexible plastic stand-up pouches of finely shredded Colby Jack cheese from Happy Farms by Aldi, with batch number 8679653 and item number 170374. The recalled cheese also has the UPC code 4061463330840, and best-by dates between July 13 and July 14, 2025.

The potentially contaminated cheese was sold exclusively by Aldi in only four states: Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Aldi customers who bought Happy Farms Colby Jack from outside one of these four states should be in the clear.

Stainless steel fragments like those that could potentially contaminate the affected cheese should not be eaten. When swallowed, even tiny pieces of stainless steel pose an injury risk from the second they enter your mouth, all the way through your digestive system. As the FDA indicated, severe injury is unlikely, which is why this has not reached a class I recall. Although small cuts in the esophagus from stainless steel fragments might not be considered "serious adverse health consequences," it's a painful and potentially bloody annoyance that's best avoided.

If you have the recalled cheese at home, do not eat it. You can either return the cheese with proof of purchase to your local Aldi for a refund or simply throw away the cheese. Luckily, shoppers seeking a new bag of Happy Farms Colby Jack should be in the clear since this initial recall is weeks old and Aldi long ago removed any affected products from its shelves.

Unfortunately for Aldi, this is not the only recent recall it's weathered. The grocer was the center of several listeria-related recalls at the end of 2024 — one of which also targeted cheese. But the limited exposure of these affected products, and minimal risk of serious injury, should help keep it from joining the ranks of recalls that will forever haunt Aldi.