Coarsely Shredded Cheese Note: Check your refrigerator for these brands

More than 1.5 million packages of various shredded cheeses sold at major retailers, including in California, have been voluntarily recalled due to metal contamination, officials said.

The recall was initiated in early October by Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese Co., according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA notice said the voluntary recall covered more than 260,000 cases of shredded cheese, and was prompted by the possibility of metal shards in the products.

The FDA on Monday upgraded the recall to “Class II,” meaning use or exposure to the known products could cause temporary or “medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

The FDA’s investigation into the recall is ongoing. The Great Lakes Cheese Company did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Wednesday.

The company describes itself on its website as a “leading manufacturer and packager of natural and processed large, sliced ​​and sliced ​​cheeses.”

Here’s what you need to know:

Which cheeses are affected?

The FDA has flagged the following cases of shredded cheese as part of the recall:

• 235,000 cases of low-moisture portion-skim mozzarella shredded cheese, including brands of: Always Save, Borden, Brookshire, Catch Valley Creamery, Chestnut Hill, Coburn Farms, Econo, Food Club, Food Lion, Gold Rush Creamery, Good & Gather, Great Lakes Cheese, Happy Farms by Aldi, HEB, Hill Country Groceries, Knowledge & Love, Laura Lane, Lucerne Farms, Publi Farms, Publi Farms, Semps, Semps Farmers Market, Stater Bros Markets and Sunnyside Farms.
• 1,900 cases Happy Farms by Aldi Italian Style Shredded Cheese Blend.
• Over 15,000 cases of Italian-style shredded cheese blend, including Signs: Brookshire, Catch Valley Creamery, Coburn Farms, Great Value, Knowledge and Love, Laura Lane, Publix, Simple Gone and Happy Farms.
• 117 cases Food Club’s Pizza Style Four Cheese Blend is finely shredded.
• Over 4,000 cases of mozzarella and soft cheddar cheese combinations, including Signs: Econo, Food Club, Gold Rush Creamery, Great Value, Laura Lane and Simply Go.
• Over 4,000 cases of mozzarella and non-smoked provolone cheese including Signs: Free choice, good and collectable, big letter cheese and great value.
• More than 1,800 cases Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese mixture.

According to the FDA notification, the products have sell-by dates from January to late March of next year. The agency has a complete list of affected products and their UPC codes online.

Where are these products sold?

The affected shredded cheese products came in five different varieties and were a host of brand names in Target, Walmart, Aldi and other major retailers in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The FDA says they are distributed in 31 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Okanagan, New York, Okomaka, New York Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin; Also Puerto Rico.

What you should do

The FDA has not provided specific guidelines for the recalled cheese products. When a product is recalled, the agency’s general direction is to either send the product back to the place of purchase for a refund or to throw it away.

If contaminated food product comes into contact with your refrigerator or countertop, the FDA recommends cleaning and disinfecting these areas. After cleaning these areas, you should wash your hands with warm water and soap.