Tomales Bay Foods brand Artisan Cheese in PARTIAL WHEELS of Cheese, from cheese makers in US (VA, VT, Ca, WI, OR, WA and UT) and Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, France, Holland and Greece. Varieties include Appalachian, Coolea, Cabot clothbound Cheddar, Big Rock Blue, Goat Gouda, Holey Cow, Big Woods Blue, Fiore Sardo,, Valdeon, Pecorino Romano, Sottocenere, Capriago, Capricious, Cave Aged Gruyere, Cave Aged Marisa, Fenacho, Pondhopper, Comte, L'Amuse Signature Gouda, Dante Waxed Rind, Dry Jack

Recall Insight

This FDA Food action (record #F-1985-2012) was formally reported on December 12, 2012, with the manufacturer initiating the action on July 28, 2012. It is classified under Moderate severity (Class II), with a current status of Terminated. Tomales Bay Foods, Inc. is listed as the recalling firm, operating out of Petaluma, CA. Federal records indicate 562.74 pounds original recall, 101.1 pounds of Pondhopper and 31.41 pounds of Big Woods Blue units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: Firm received a positive environmental for Listeria Monocytogenes from their internal testing samples. Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: Part One: CA, VA, VT, WI, OR, UT and Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Holland, Greece. Part Two: Dates of Distribution: 6/2512 - 7/27/12 Pattern: CA, NC, FL. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by FDA Food. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 14 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.