Cottage cheese urgently recalled over 'significant health risk'
Selected pots of cottage cheese are being recalled across the United States due to the possibility of not fully pasteurised ingredients, according to a Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notice.
On 25 February, the agency published a company announcement on behalf of Saputo Cheese USA Inc., a Canadian dairy company based in Montreal, Quebec.
The notice was one of voluntary recall of its Great Value Fat Free, Lowfat, and Small Curd cottage cheese. Best before dates are listed between 1 and 3 April 2026.
The FDA stated that there was the possibility of liquid dairy ingredients which were not fully pasteurised according to state regulatory standards present in the products.
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Eating ingredients which are ‘raw’ can increase the chance of signficant health risk, with children under five, adults over 65, and pregnant women being most at risk.
Symptoms of foodborne illness from unpasteurised products include diarrhoea, stomach cramping, and vomiting, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Severe outcomes such as paralysis, kidney failure, stroke, or even death can also occur.
The FDA notice stated that despite the possible presence of not fully pasteurised ingredients, there have been no illnesses or hospitalisations associated with the recalled products.
The impacted pasteuriser has also returned to normal function and was verified and sealed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. No other products produced in the facility were affected, the notice stated.
The three products voluntarily recalled were distributed to Walmart stores under the Great Value label and sold across 24 states between 17 and 20 February.
The products, UPC codes, and expiration dates are as follows:
- 24 oz. Great Value Fat Free Small Curd Cottage Cheese - 0 percent Milkfat. UPC: 078742373393. Best before dates 1 and 3 April.
- 24 oz. Great Value Lowfat Small Curd Cottage Cheese - 2 percent Milkfat. UPC: 078742116730. Best before dates 1, 2, and 3 April
- 16 and 24 oz. and 3lb. Great Value Small Curd Cottage Cheese – 4 percent milkfat minimum. UPCs: 078742372358, 078742372365, and 078742147970. Best before dates 1, 2, and 3 April.
The 24 states affected by the voluntary recall include: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
All customers who purchased the affected products are advised not to consume them.
Instead, it’s recommended that they are disposed of or returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.
For more information, it’s said that you should contact Saputo at 1-888-587-2423 from Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm CT.
The cottage cheese recall comes amid a major social media boom, with the dairy product becoming über popular on TikTok and Instagram.
The trend has mainly been fuelled food influencers posting high-protein recipes online featuring the item.
Tesco, a leading supermarket in the UK, has said that demand for the snack has skyrocketed by a whopping 200 percent in the last two years.
Meanwhile, Grahams Family Dairy has seen its stocks needing to double, with an extra two million kilogrammes sold between 2023 and 2025.
“The demand has simply been staggering and our cottage cheese business is now bigger than our milk business – which is what our dairy farm was originally built around,” Robert Graham of the brand said.
“We first noticed the trend around May 2023 but it has rocketed since then and we have literally gone into overdrive to keep up with the demand.
“The trend has caught on around the world and as a result we’re now exporting to places as far away as the Gulf States and Hong Kong.
“We have been working hard to produce new products and our next innovations launch exclusively very soon at Tesco.”
Ella Scott