There might still be a wedge of Cabricharme in a cheese drawer somewhere in a kitchen in New Jersey, California, or Rhode Island, wrapped in the kind of seemingly unremarkable plastic and scale-label packaging. A best-by date of early October is indicated on the label. It makes no mention of eggs. The FDA and Whole Foods Market claim that this is the issue.
Fromagerie Coop de Mean Cabri charmer cheese, which was sold at 18 stores in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, was the subject of a recall notice published by the Food and Drug Administration on September 11 by Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas. The reason is that the product label made no mention of the presence of egg lysozyme, a protein made from egg whites, in the cheese. Although it was only available in California and Arizona, a second product, Belgian Cabricharme with PLU 54670, was also removed.
Since most people wouldn’t think to look for egg lysozyme in cheese, it’s important to understand it. Some cheesemakers use this enzyme, which comes from egg whites, as a natural preservative, especially in aged raw milk varieties. Without significantly altering the final product’s flavor or texture, it operates silently. The labeling gap is dangerous precisely because of this invisibility.
When reading a cheese label, a person with an egg allergy has no specific reason to believe the protein is present, and there is no way to identify it without testing. Exposure can cause anaphylaxis in those with a severe egg allergy, a reaction that rapidly worsens and necessitates emergency medical attention.
If there is any good news, it is that a Whole Foods store employee discovered the labeling issue before any illnesses were reported. That particular detail is important. It indicates that the recall is preventive rather than reactive and that someone was keeping an eye on things at the store level. The impacted cheese has all been taken off store shelves.
However, the recalled product’s best-by dates expire on October 7, 2026, indicating that some of it was probably bought prior to the recall’s announcement and may still be in a refrigerator at home, wrapped in the same harmless label.
The FDA’s advice is clear: avoid eating the cheese. Customers are asked to dispose of it and then wash any cutting boards or surfaces that may have come into contact with it, especially if there is an egg allergy in the home. They are not required to return it. If you have a legitimate receipt from the retailer, you can get a complete refund. For those with inquiries, the Whole Foods customer service number, 1-844-936-8255, is open late on weekends.
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that this specific recall involves a raw milk cheese, which provides a little more background. Given the increased risk of foodborne illness, the FDA already issues general warnings about raw and unpasteurized dairy products regardless of any allergen concerns.
That risk is greatly decreased by pasteurization, the heating procedure that by the middle of the 20th century had become standard in the US commercial milk supply. Cabracotta and other raw milk cheeses that must be aged for at least 60 days to comply with US regulations fall into a legally acceptable but inherently riskier category. While none of that is new, it provides pertinent context when considering specialty cheese counters and the presumptions consumers may have about what they are purchasing and its contents.
Retail food labeling errors are more frequent than most people realize. They typically fit into a few well-known patterns: a product is mislabeled during cutting and repackaging, a supplier modifies a recipe without updating documentation, or a minor ingredient is overlooked. It is unclear which of those situations applies in this case. Although it is evident that the system functioned as intended—a store employee discovered the error, the recall was started, and the FDA published a notice—it is important to acknowledge that the error was discovered at the store level rather than earlier in the supply chain.
If you frequently shop at Whole Foods‘ specialty cheese counter, it might be worth a few seconds to look up the PLU numbers on anything you recently bought. 57953 and 54670 are the two codes to search for. The FDA’s advice is clear: if either is listed on a label with a best-by date of October 7, 2026, or earlier, don’t eat it, discard it, and clean the board.
