LOS ANGELES, September 9, 2026 – Maria looked at the bulletin for five minutes and then began making phone calls. Not about rent. About the guanciale in the walk-in. Three hours passed without receiving any response from the supplier. That’s how she realized: she had to act.
This week, federal health officials released a public health alert after routine import inspection revealed the presence of listeria bacteria in dry-cured pork jowl – guanciale, which led to recalls by two U.S. importers of over 1,500 pounds of product available for consumption. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service made it a Class I recall, the highest level in the system of classifications of food recalls.
This is the extent. Both Prime Line Distributors, Inc., based in Florida, and Ferrarini USA, Inc., based in New Jersey, have recalled two types of guanciale following the reinspection of one that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Each of the four products has a best-if-used-by date of May 16, 2027, lot number 263311US, and the Italian establishment identification number IT 1937 L CE. The pigs were processed on May 21 at Bome SRL (Est. 1937L) in Italy and entered the U.S. in July.
The distribution was significant. Prime Line’s products were distributed to food service and retail establishments in Florida. Ferrarini’s products were distributed to food service establishments and distributors in California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. If you purchased guanciale from any restaurant or deli in any of these states after July, it may be good to know where it came from.
Listeria is not your usual stomach bug. Older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems are most susceptible to it. Fever, muscle pain, headaches, stiffness in the neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures – sometimes preceded by diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders – are just some symptoms that might manifest. The risk is even greater during pregnancy, as it may result in miscarriage or even stillbirth.
FSIS warned that some of the recalled product could still be sitting in food-service and retail refrigerators and freezers. “Food service and retail locations are urged not to serve or sell these products,” the agency said. For consumers, the guidance is blunt: discard or return the items to the place of purchase.
People are not panicking – at least, not yet. No illnesses were linked to the recalled guanciale in the report. However, timing is crucial, as listeriosis symptoms may appear up to two months after exposure; hence the advice for those in the most vulnerable groups who experience any signs of flu up to two months after consumption to see their doctor.
The point is that guanciale is an integral part of pasta carbonara and other Italian dishes in Rome. Guanciale is cured, sure thing, yet it does not require any cooking and is consumed raw. Listeria, in turn, tends to survive in cool and wet conditions and remains on the surface, which is why special care is taken to clean deli slicers and preparation tables.
So what went wrong? Cause is not yet clear. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified this problem during a routine test conducted in connection with re-inspection of imports. This checkpoint was there for this specific reason. It did work in its own way in the form of a positive sample, but what about those additional contaminated samples that might have passed unnoticed? That is where the confusion lies.
It’s easy for those running a restaurant to know what to do. Look at the invoices. See if the lot numbers match. Isolate whatever matches the description. And make sure that it’s discarded or returned. If you have vacuum-packed guanciale with the date of May 2027 and lot number 263311US at home, do not eat it. Either throw it away or return it.
The irony? This wasn’t a domestic processing failure. It was an import control catch. Still, the outcome lands the same way: a federal alert, a Class I recall, and a reminder that “ready-to-eat” doesn’t mean “risk-free.”
