Whole Foods Recalls Cabricharme Cheese Over Undeclared Egg: Why Is Egg in Cheese?
Whole Foods Market has recalled certain Cabricharme cheese sold at 18 stores after discovering that the cheese contains an egg-derived protein that was not declared on its label.
For most shoppers, the first question may be an unexpected one: Why would there be egg in cheese?
The answer makes this recall worth a closer look.
What Was Recalled?
Whole Foods Market announced the recall on September 11, 2026.
The affected cheese was sold by the pound in the specialty cheese departments of 18 Whole Foods Market stores. Store employees cut and plastic-wrapped the cheese and applied Whole Foods Market scale labels.
The affected products are:
Fromagerie Coop de Mean Cabricharme Raw Milk – Aged 60 DaysPLU: 57953Best-by dates: All dates through and including October 7, 2026
Belgian CabricharmePLU: 54670Best-by dates: All dates through and including October 7, 2026
The recalled cheese was sold in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.
Georgia is not included in the recall.
This is also not a recall of all cheese sold at Whole Foods or all Whole Foods locations.
Why Was the Cheese Recalled?
The cheese contains egg lysozyme, an egg-white protein, but egg was not declared on the product label.
That distinction is important.
This recall was issued because of an undeclared allergen, not because investigators reported finding a disease-causing organism in the cheese.
For people with an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs, consuming a product containing an undeclared egg protein can result in a serious or potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
Why Would Egg Be Used in Cheese?
Lysozyme is an enzyme that occurs naturally in egg whites. Egg-derived lysozyme can be used during cheesemaking to inhibit certain unwanted bacteria and help prevent defects during production and aging.
That means its presence isn't necessarily accidental contamination. An egg-derived ingredient can be deliberately used as part of the cheesemaking process.
The labeling is the issue in this recall.
A shopper with an egg allergy could reasonably recognize milk as an expected allergen in cheese while having no reason to assume an egg-derived protein was also present unless the label disclosed it.
How Was the Problem Discovered?
According to Whole Foods' announcement posted by the FDA, a store team member discovered the labeling issue.
Whole Foods reported that all affected products had been removed from store shelves.
As of the September 11 recall announcement, no illnesses had been reported.
What Should Consumers Do?
If you purchased Cabricharme cheese from a Whole Foods Market in one of the affected states, check the product name, PLU number and best-by date.
Consumers with affected cheese are urged not to eat it and to destroy the product.
Whole Foods says customers who purchased affected products may obtain a full refund from the place of purchase with a valid receipt.
Consumers with additional questions can contact Whole Foods Market at 1-844-936-8255.
The Maria Standard: What This Recall Tells Us
This recall highlights something shoppers don't always consider: an allergen can appear in a food where we wouldn't intuitively expect to find it.
The presence of egg-derived lysozyme in cheesemaking isn't itself evidence that the cheese is unsafe for everyone. The safety issue arises when an egg-derived protein is present without egg being disclosed to consumers who rely on allergen labeling to protect themselves.
That's an important distinction.
For consumers managing food allergies, an accurate ingredient label isn't simply information about what's in the package. It can be the difference between choosing a food safely and unknowingly consuming an allergen.
Maria Approved It™I look into it so you know what you're buying.
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