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

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

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

The company touts itself on its website as the “premier manufacturer and packager of natural and processed bulk, shredded and sliced cheeses.”

Here’s what you need to know:

What cheeses are affected?

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

• 235,000 cases of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese, including the brands: Always Save, Borden, Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Chestnut Hill, Coburn Farms, Econo, Food Club, Food Lion, Gold Rush Creamery, Good & Gather, Great Lakes Cheese, Happy Farms by Aldi, H-E-B, Hill Country Fare, Know & Love, Laura Lynn, Lucerne Dairy Farms, Nu Farm, Publix, Schnucks, Simply Go, Sprouts Farmers Market, Stater Bros. Markets and Sunnyside Farms.
• 1,900 cases of Happy Farms by Aldi Italian-style shredded cheese blend.
• More than 15,000 cases of Italian-style shredded cheese blend, including the brands: Brookshire’s, Cache Valley Creamery, Coburn Farms, Great Value, Know & Love, Laura Lynn, Publix, Simply Go and Happy Farms.
• 117 cases of Food Club finely shredded pizza-style four-cheese blend.
• More than 4,000 cases of mozzarella and mild cheddar cheese blend, including the brands: Econo, Food Club, Gold Rush Creamery, Great Value, Laura Lynn and Simply Go.
• More than 4,000 cases of mozzarella and non-smoked provolone cheese, including the brands: Freedom’s Choice, Good & Gather, Great Lakes Cheese and Great Value.
• More than 1,800 cases of Good & Gather mozzarella and parmesan cheese blend.

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

Where were these products sold?

The affected shredded cheese products came in five different varieties and were sold under a host of brand names at Target, Walmart, Aldi and other major retailers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The FDA says they were distributed to 31 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin; as well as Puerto Rico.

What you should do

The FDA did not provide specific instructions for the recalled cheese products. When a product is recalled, the agency’s general guidance is to either return the product to the place of purchase for a refund or throw it away.

If the contaminated food product came into contact with your fridge or counter tops, the FDA recommends cleaning and disinfecting those areas. After cleaning those areas, you should also wash your hands with warm water and soap.

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