Cream Cheese Recall Receives FDA's Highest Rating

There's nothing quite like a toasted bagel topped with a generous helping of cream cheese. But, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shoppers should be double-checking the labels on their cream cheese before spreading the dairy product onto anything.

That's because the FDA has issued a recall on a collection of cream cheeses that were distributed to retailers across certain regions of New York due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Not only have these items been recalled, but the FDA came out and updated the agency's initial statement not long after it was released, giving the recall its highest warning level.

That's due to the potential for serious adverse health problems for those who consume the recalled cheese. Want to learn more about the possible contamination? Keep reading as we break down everything the FDA has to say about the 2026 cream cheese recall, including what shoppers should do if they have some.

On Feb. 20, 2026, the FDA issued a cream cheese recall, telling consumers not to use various flavors of cream cheese from Made Fresh Salads, Inc. Their reasoning? A routine test of a small sample of the facility where the cream cheese was manufactured tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The FDA says that the company immediately stopped using that mixer and removed it from the production line. The recalled cream cheese was distributed to several retailers in New York, including:

• Brooklyn
• Queens
• Bronx
• New York City

The recalled cream cheese was sold in 5-pound packages, and came in a large variety of flavors. According to the FDA, that included items like shipped cream cheese, apple cinnamon cream cheese, tofu whipped cream cheese, jalapeno cream cheese, lox cream cheese, and more.

You can find a completely listing of the cream cheese flavors by visiting the FDA's website. Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported as a result of this recall.

While it seems like Made Fresh Salads, Inc., may have acted fast enough to avoid any illnesses, the FDA is staying on top of the recall. The agency even upgraded the recall to its highest warning level on Mar. 11, 2026, according to Newsweek.

The publication noted that the recall had been given a Class I status, which the FDA's own definition says means "there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

Many people who come down with a listeria infection as a result of being exposed to Listeria monocytogenes will experience mild symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, high risk populations — like those with compromised immune systems, the very young, or the elderly — will have more severe symptoms, which can sometimes even result in death.

That's why it's important to follow the FDA's instructions and discontinue use of the cream cheese if you have it at home.