Federal regulators have issued a Class I recall—the most serious classification—for approximately 1,513 pounds of imported ready-to-eat pork products after routine testing detected potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall on September 6, 2026, involving products manufactured in Italy on May 21, 2025, and imported into the U.S. in July. The affected items are dry-cured pork jowl products, commonly used in Italian cuisine, and include the following brands and products:
- Prime Line Distributors Inc. recalled:
- Prime Line Distributors Inc. Guanciale Pork Jowl Product of Italy
- Guanciale Pork Jowl Product of Italy
- Ferrarini USA recalled:
- Guanciale Pork Jowl Product of Italy
- Ferrarini Guanciale Dry-Cured Pork Jowl
All recalled products share the lot code 263311US and a “Best If Used By” date of May 16, 2027.
Distribution and Affected Areas
The recalled products were distributed to retail and food service locations in the following states:
- California
- Florida
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- Texas
Prime Line Distributors shipped products to Florida, while Ferrarini’s products were sent to food service locations in all eight states.
Regulatory Response and Public Guidance
The FSIS identified the contamination during routine import reinspection testing, which returned a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes. No confirmed illnesses have been linked to the recalled products as of the announcement.
Consumers are advised not to eat the recalled items and to either discard them or return them to the place of purchase. Food service operators and retailers have been instructed not to sell or serve the affected products.
Health Risks and Symptoms
Listeria monocytogenes can cause intestinal or invasive illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms typically appear within 24 hours for intestinal illness (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea) or within two weeks for invasive illness (e.g., fever, confusion, headache, seizures, stiff neck).
The infection poses higher risks for:
- Pregnant women (may lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or life-threatening newborn infections)
- Newborns
- Older adults
- Individuals with weakened immune systems
The FSIS emphasized that while healthy individuals may experience mild symptoms, severe cases can result in serious and sometimes fatal infections.
Background on Food Safety Oversight
The recall follows a Class I classification, reserved for hazards where consumption of the product could cause serious health problems or death. The FSIS continues to monitor foodborne illness trends, including recent increases in reported cases of Cyclospora infections across multiple states.
Officials have not indicated whether this recall is connected to broader food safety concerns. Both Prime Line Distributors and Ferrarini USA have been contacted for comment but have not yet responded publicly.