FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: cheese from Portugal
FDA category: Cheese and Cheese Products · October 2016 to September 16, 2026
FDA refused 13 cheese shipment lines from Portugal between October 2016 and September 16, 2026, 5 of them in 2026; the most refused products were cheese and cheese and cheese products, most often for LISTERIA (Listeria monocytogenes).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 13
- cheese lines refused since October 2016
- 5
- refused so far in 2026
- 3
- firms with the most records, listed below
Cheese refusals from Portugal by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 5 | |
| 2023 | 1 | -80% |
| 2022 | 5 | +150% |
| 2021 | 2 |
Cheese refusals from Portugal
FDA refused 8 cheese lines from Portugal between October 2016 and September 16, 2026, 62% of the cheese lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of cheese |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese, semisoft | 7 | 53.8% |
| Cheese, hard (chesire,esrum,fortina,fortine,kasseni,mozzarella,montasio,pecarino,port salut, etc) | 1 | 7.7% |
Recent cheese refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese, semisoft | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese, semisoft | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese, semisoft | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese, semisoft | LISTERIA | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese, semisoft | LISTERIA | Source |
Cheese and cheese products refusals from Portugal
FDA refused 4 cheese and cheese products lines from Portugal between October 2016 and September 16, 2026, 31% of the cheese lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of cheese |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese and cheese products, not elsewhere mentioned, n.e.c. | 4 | 30.8% |
Recent cheese and cheese products refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese and cheese products, not elsewhere mentioned, n.e.c | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese and cheese products, not elsewhere mentioned, n.e.c | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese and cheese products, not elsewhere mentioned, n.e.c | POISONOUS | Source | |
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRLVelas, Portugal | Cheese and cheese products, not elsewhere mentioned, n.e.c | POISONOUS | Source |
Soft ripened cheese made from cow's milk refusals from Portugal
FDA refused 1 soft ripened cheese made from cow's milk line from Portugal between October 2016 and September 16, 2026, 8% of the cheese lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of cheese |
|---|---|---|
| Soft ripened cheese made from cow's milk (e.g., brie, camembert) | 1 | 7.7% |
Recent soft ripened cheese made from cow's milk refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilda Maria Alves Eduardo HenriquesLajes, Flores, Portugal | Soft ripened cheese made from cow's milk (e.g., brie, camembert) | LISTERIA | Source |
Why FDA refused cheese from Portugal
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| LISTERIA | Listeria monocytogenes | 6 | 35% |
| POISONOUS | Poisonous or deleterious substance | 4 | 24% |
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 1 | 6% |
| INCONSPICU | Required information not conspicuous | 1 | 6% |
| INSANITARY | Prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions | 1 | 6% |
| LACKS FIRM | Manufacturer name and address missing | 1 | 6% |
| LACKS N/C | Net quantity statement missing | 1 | 6% |
| LIST INGRE | Ingredients not listed | 1 | 6% |
| NUTRIT LBL | Nutrition information missing from label | 1 | 6% |
Import alerts for cheese that list Portugal firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-10 | Cheese: microbiological contamination | 9 |
Portugal cheese firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Uniqueijo - Uniao de Cooperativas Agricolas de Lacticinios de Sao Jorge, UCRL | Velas | 10 |
| Finisterra Cooperativa de Lacticinios do Topo | Topo | 1 |
| Ilda Maria Alves Eduardo Henriques | Lajes, Flores | 1 |
Latest cheese refusals from Portugal
Questions about cheese refusals from Portugal
- How many cheese shipments from Portugal did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 5 shipment lines of cheese from Portugal in 2026 through September 16, 2026.
- Why does FDA refuse cheese from Portugal?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For cheese from Portugal the most frequent are LISTERIA (Listeria monocytogenes, 6 lines), POISONOUS (poisonous or deleterious substance, 4 lines) and FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, 1 line). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover cheese from Portugal?
- As of October 26, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Portugal firms are Import Alert 12-10 (9 firms). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Portugal firms too; see the country page.
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SupplierRadar is not affiliated with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Data comes from public FDA records and may contain errors. This is not legal advice; importers remain responsible for their supplier evaluations.