It's super seasonal-sounding, and affected more than 4,000 packages—here's how the expiration date became an issue.
A holiday cheese board filled with seasonal fruits, nuts, and hearty cheeses creates a sense of cozy abundance. By blending traditional favorites with holiday-forward flavors like cranberry and cinnamon, a thoughtfully curated plate sets a festive tone while welcoming guests to nibble, chat, and linger a little longer.
But if Boar’s Head is your go-to company for all things cheese, you’ll want to check those products and their labels before crafting your next spread. According to an updated report from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the company recalled 4,464 units of its Chevre Goat Cheese Cranberry Cinnamon, sold in four-ounce packages in one state: New York.
A labeling error is now listed as the reason for this update, which was first announced in July 2025. Specifically, the “Use By” date is listed on the packaging nonsensically as 19/19/25.
In August, the FDA declared the incident a Class III event—indicating the lowest level risk to public health. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) appears to echo this minor degree of concern in a broader notice regarding “Use By” dates: “With an exception of infant formula, if the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until the time spoilage is evident. Spoiled foods will develop an off odor, flavor or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten,” FSIS writes.
The FDA report adds that the recall is now completed, though not terminated. A completed FDA recall means the company has finished all the actions it agreed to take—such as removing or correcting the product—and the FDA has verified that those actions were carried out properly. A terminated recall goes one step further: the FDA has officially closed the recall after confirming not only that the company completed all actions, but also that no further oversight is needed.
In other words, though it’s now out of the company’s hands, consumers should still inspect their products and labels to ensure they don’t accidentally consume expired cheese. The Mayo Clinic notes that soft cheeses that show signs of mold should be immediately tossed: “The mold can spread through the cheese, even if you can’t see it. Also, harmful bacteria, such as listeria, brucella, salmonella and Escherichia coli, can grow with the mold,” their experts state.
The affected items, distributed by Brunckhorst Co. of New York, bear the UPC 0 42421-15231 9 and the lot number 5172T247—so if you spot these numbers, it could pay to be a little extra vigilant.
A previous recall notice originally listed the product as “Brunckhorst’s Boar’s Head Chevre Goat Cheese Cranberry Cinnamon, Net Wt 4 oz. (113g).” The FDA has since updated the notice to remove the name of the distributor, Brunckhorst Co., from the brand name, though the other details remain the same.
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