MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio - A business operated by Amish family farms in Northeast Ohio has expanded a recall to include more cheese products due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium can cause serious illness.

Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op announced the recall of several cheese varieties produced at its Middlefield facility on May 30 and Aug. 13, 2025. The products were distributed in Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Texas between July 7 and Aug. 14, 2025.

The recalled products were sold through distributors, dining halls and retail stores. The recall includes specific lot codes and sell-by dates for Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op and Sunrise Creamery brands.

Recalled products include:

  • Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Organic Gouda, 8-ounce packages with a sell-by date of Feb. 13, 2026.
  • Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese, 5-pound shredded bags with a sell-by date of Sept. 3, 2025.
  • Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Colored (Yellow) Cheddar Cheese, 5-pound loaves and 5-pound shredded bags with sell-by dates of Feb. 13, 2026, and Sept. 3, 2025, respectively.
  • Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Swiss Cheese, 5-pound loaves with a sell-by date of Feb. 13, 2026.
  • Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Pepper Jack Cheese, 5-pound loaves and 5-pound shredded bags with sell-by dates of Feb. 13, 2026, and Sept. 3, 2025, respectively.
  • Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Monterey Jack Cheese, 5-pound loaves and 5-pound shredded bags with sell-by dates of Feb. 13, 2026, and Sept. 3, 2025, respectively.
  • Sunrise Creamery Dilly Pickle Monterey Jack with Pickles, 6-ounce and 1.25-pound packages with lot code 253054 and various sell-by dates.

The company initiated the recall after internal testing found Listeria monocytogenes in finished products and on cutting equipment surfaces. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The bacterium can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

Customers should dispose of the recalled cheese or return it to the retail location for a refund.