Cheese lovers are being urged to check their fridges after multiple cheese products were recalled due to fears of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause potentially deadly infections. Heres what you need to know about the cheese recall affecting multiple states.
Whats happened?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a recall notice on its website warning of potential Listeria monocytogenes in several cheese products.
The FDAs warning was published on September 8, three days after the Ohio-based company behind the cheese announced the recall.
That company is Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op, which produces multiple cheese products. Middlefield initiated the recall after detecting Listeria monocytogenes in some of its finished products as well as on cutting equipment surfaces.
Cheese products covered under this recall were sold under two brand names:
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-op
Sunrise Creamery
The recalled products were produced on two dates: May 30, and August 13 and sold in multiple states between July 7 and August 14.
However, some of the recalled products have sell-by dates that extend into 2026, so they may still be sitting in customers refrigerators.
What cheese products are being recalled?
According to the notice published on the FDA website, the following cheese products are being recalled:
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Organic Gouda,8 ounce packages, Sell by date of February 13, 2026
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese5 pound bags (shredded cheese), Sell by date of September 3, 2025
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Colored (Yellow) Cheddar Cheese,5 pound loaves (labeled as Smoked Cheddar and All Natural Mild Cheddar),Sell by date of February 13, 20265 pound bags (shredded cheese) (labeled as Shredded Cheddar Cheese),Sell by date of September 3, 2025
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Swiss Cheese5 pound loaves, Sell by date of February 13, 2026
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Pepper Jack Cheese5 pound loaves (labeled as All Natural Pepper Jack), Sell by date of February 13, 20265 pound bags (shredded cheese), Sell by date of September 3, 2025
Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op Monterey Jack Cheese,5 pound loaves, Sell by date of February 13, 20265 pound bags (shredded cheese), Sell by date of September 3, 2025
Sunrise Creamery Dilly Pickle Monterey Jack with Pickles Cheese6 ounce package (labeled as Dilly Pickle) with lot code 253054,Sell by date of January 7, 2026, January 11, 2026, or February 16, 20261.25 pound package (labeled as Dilly Pickle Jack) with lot code 253054,Sell by date of December 30, 2025
Where were the recalled cheese products sold?
The recalled products above were reportedly sold in four states, including:
Minnesota
Ohio
Texas
Wisconsin
The recall notice does not list the exact establishments where the recalled cheese was sold, but says the cheese was sold through distributors, dining halls, and retail stores between July 7 and August 14.
What is Listeria Monocytogenes?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause severe illness and even death in those who consume it.
Listeria monocytogenes can make anyone sick; however, some groups are more susceptible to worse outcomesincluding deaththan others. The CDC says individuals particularly at risk from a Listeria monocytogenes infection include:
Pregnant women and their unborn baby
Newborn babies
Adults over the age of 65
Individuals with weakened immune systems
In pregnant people, Listeria monocytogenes infections can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths.
Thankfully, as of the time of this writing, there have been no reports of illnesses related to the recalled products.
What should I do if I have the recalled cheese products?
If you have any of the recalled products, the recall notice says you should not consume them. Instead, dispose of them or return them to their place of purchase for a refund. You can read the full recall notice on the FDA’s website.
Today is the day that many of Apples legions of iPhone fans look forward to most. Its Apples annual iPhone event, in which the company unveils its new lineup of its iconic smartphone for the year ahead.
Apple will begin its 2025 iPhone Awe Dropping event at 10 a.m. PT today, (Tuesday, September 9). But iPhones arent the only product Apple is expected to unveil.
Heres what you need to know about todays Apple event, including when and where you can watch the keynote in time zones around the world.
Apple iPhone 17 event: New iPhones
Fast Company has previously detailed what iPhones to expect at todays Apple event, but the short answer is to expect Apple to unveil four new iPhone modelsand kill off one existing one.
The current iPhone model that Apple has eliminated from its lineup is the iPhone Plus model. It will be replaced with an all-new super-thin iPhone, many have dubbed the iPhone Air. (The actual name remains unconfirmed at this time.)
Apple will also introduce a new regular iPhone 17, a new iPhone 17 Pro, and a new iPhone 17 Pro Max. It is unknown at this time if those phones will have the 17 numbering scheme, or if Apple will change the model number to 26 like it has done with its operating systems this year.
Apple iPhone 17 event: New Apple Watches
As the Apple Watch isnt a true standalone device (it needs to be paired with an iPhone), Apple usually chooses to debut new models when it debuts new iPhones. Thats expected to be no different this year.
Rumors say that Apple will refresh all three models of its Apple Watch this year, debuting the Apple Watch Series 11, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and the Apple Watch SE 3. Expect slightly larger displays on some as well as new health features.
Apple iPhone 17 event: New AirPods
Apple also usually chooses to update its AirPod wireless earbuds at the same time it launches new iPhonesthough it doesnt release new AirPods every year. This year, Apple is expected only to update one of its AirPods modelsthe AirPods Pro 3.
Rumors are conflicting about what upgrades the new AirPods Pro 3 will have. Earlier rumors pointed to sound and performance upgrades, but later rumors have said the only major upgrades the AirPods Pro 3 will receive are new health featuresincluding the ability to detect the wearers heart rate.
Apple iPhone 17 event: New Software
Apple will also preview the final versions of its suite of operating systems that run on its devices. The company has already revealed the major new feature, along with a new numbering scheme based on the year rather than the iteration of the OS.
When Apple mentions iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 at todays event, it’s possible some of the operating systems could have newly announced features that are limited to some of the new hardware Apple is announcing.
As for the release date of iOS 26 and the other new operating systems, expect Apple to announce their availability to the public as a free download either this week or next week. Release dates may include Friday, September 12, or Monday, September 15.
Apple iPhone 17 event: time zones
Apples 2025 iPhone event kicks off today, Tuesday, September 9, at 10 a.m. PT. But if youre not in the Pacific time zone, here is what time the event starts in time zones around the world.
Athens: 8 p.m.
Auckland: 5 a.m. September 10
Beijing: 1 a.m. September 10
Berlin: 7 p.m.
Brisbane: 3 a.m. September 10
Cairo: 7 p.m.
Cape Town: 7 p.m.
Chicago: 12 p.m.
Denver: 11 a.m.
Dubai: 9 p.m.
Hong Kong: 1 a.m. September 10
Honolulu: 7 a.m.
Houston: 12 p.m.
London: 6 p.m.
Melbourne: 3 a.m. September 10
Mexico City: 12 p.m.
New York: 1 p.m.
Paris: 7 p.m.
Phoenix: 10 a.m.
Sao Paulo: 2 p.m.
Singapore: 1 a.m. September 10
Sydney: 3 a.m. September 10
Tel Aviv: 8 p.m.
Toronto: 1 p.m.
Vancouver: 10 a.m.
Apple iPhone 17 event: How to watch
There are plenty of ways you can watch todays Apple iPhone event:
On Apple.com: Apple will stream the event on its official Apple Events website and homepage. You can access this stream from web browsers on your computer or mobile device.
On YouTube: Apple also streams its iPhone event on its official YouTube channel. You can watch on YouTubes website or in the YouTube app on any supported device.
In Apples TV app: Apple also streams the iPhone event in its TV app, which is available on all its devices. Just open the TV app to find the livestream.
Finally, you can watch the iPhone 17 Apple event right here on FastCompany.com. Weve embedded the YouTube stream below.
The Innovative Leader of the Year category of Best Workplaces for Innovators honors individuals at any level, from CEO to department head, who have enhanced the innovation culture of their workplace.
Winner: Sarah Russell, Director, Bellwether, X, the Moonshot Factory
Mountain View, CA
In 2019, as an entrepreneur in residence at Alphabets X, the Moonshot Factory, Sarah Russell created Bellwether, which harnesses AI and data to assess natural disaster risk and mitigate impact on communities. Bellwether forecasts probabilities for severe weather, provides aerial images to first responders, and helps insurers understand disaster risk. When Hurricane Helene struck last September, the tool processed 75,000 images from Civil Air Patrol in a matter of minutes rather than days. Russell is also a practicing emergency room physician and an assistant professor at Stanfords School of Medicine, and she was captain of the 1998 Harvard womens basketball team that upset Stanford to become the first March Madness 16 seed to topple a 1 seed.
Finalists:
Andrew Heifetz, CEO, Ampsight (acquired in May 2025 by Vibrint, where Heifetz is now chief strategy officer), Sterling, VA
As CEO of Ampsight, Heifetz launched AmpArena innovation competitions so that cross-functional teams can test emerging technologies, stress-test internal tools, and propose new solutions outside of their daily responsibilities.
Ely Greenfield, chief technology officer, digital media, Adobe, San Jose
Greenfield has overseen the development of Firefly, Adobe’s generative AI model that has been used to generate more than 20 billion assets around the globe. He champions an iterative, experimentation-driven mindset within Adobe like Adobe’s Sneaks program, which previews early-stage innovations born from employee ideas and passion projects.
To earn Best Workplaces for Innovators recognition, all of this years winners completed an application that addressed questions about projects, investment, company-wide programs, and workplace culture. Fast Company editors evaluated every application and conducted additional research to generate a score for each company. A separate judging panel reviewed the 125 top-ranked companies to select the overall winner. The judging panel included Tomas Chamorro-Prémuzic, chief innovation officer, Manpower Group; Jana Rich, founder, Rich Talent Group; Stefan Seiler, group head of human resources, UBS; Jordan Taylor, cofounder and CEO, Medley; and Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief, Fast Company. Applications for categories were judged solely by Fast Company editors.
The flexible workplace for innovation category recognizes best workplaces for innovators that adapt to employees needs to foster creativity.
Cirrus Logic, Austin
In addition to formal recognition, employees at the semiconductor company who secure patents receive a custom guitar or a donation to their chosen charity.
Elastic, San Francisco
Rather than sifting through mountains of data to find what they need to do their jobs, Elastic employees use ElasticGPT, an internal AI search platform developed during an employee hackathon.
Gamefam, Los Angeles
To empower game creators on platforms like Roblox and Fortnight, Gamefam added a creator fund to bring the next big ideas in games to its Gen Alpha and Gen Z audiences.
Instrument, Portland, OR
The design and tech company allows employees to work anywhere in the U.S. and offers stipends for wellness and professional development.
Scribd Inc., San Francisco
A series of cross-functional teams called pillars replace the traditional hierarchical model at Scribd, where employees collaborate in a variety of ways that work best for them.
Tailscale, Toronto
An engineer frustrated with VPN and firewall configurations worked with teams across Tailscale to create tsnet, a tool that embeds the companys secure network into other apps, saving time for employees and customers alike.
Tractor Beverage Co., Greenwood Village, CO
Employee-owned beverage company Tractor Beverage brings its remote employees together each year at Farm Camp, an immersive retreat that fosters innovation through shared experiences on the farm.
Uplight, Boulder, CO
Eight legacy energy companies joined to create Uplight, and its employees have worked to unify and build unique solutions, like a new system that forecasts energy usage a day ahead and staggers its dispatch.
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators Awards. Explore the full list of companies that are key hubs for fostering innovative talent. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
The international category recognizes best workplaces for innovators based in regions beyond North America that have invested in human capital and innovation infrastructure in their home markets.
BandLab, Singapore
Generous time-off policies protect space for ideation, helping employees develop products for the companys music-creation platform.
Carbonaires, London
Leveraging internal innovations and outside expertise, the climate fintech company created a tool to customize investment portfolios for businesses pursuing decarbonization.
ESR, Shenzhen, China
The real estate asset management company tripled the size of its R&D team last year to continue nurturing new ideas, such as its new MagSafe wireless mouse.
FibreCoat, Aachen, Germany
A high-tech spin-off from RWTH Aachen University, the materials technology company employs students from that university, one of whom innovated a new product and eventually became the companys R&D lead.
Henkel, Düsseldorf, Germany
An ERG for people with disabilities at the global conglomerate led to the first laundry detergent with smart codes that people with low vision and blindness can scan to find product information.
Itaú Unibanco, So Paulo
In its 100th year, Brazil’s largest private bank continues to cultivate innovation, most recently with a “super app” for customers to manage their finances and transactions.
Laborit, So Paulo
Transcending traditional problem-solving, Laborits Círculo method brings employees together for a multiday immersive innovation session that uses principles of philosophy, neuroscience, and social psychology to solve todays challenges.
Ledger, Paris
Collaborative employee teams at the crypto hardware company developed Ledger Voucher, a reward mechanism that recognizes internal talent making waves in crypto.
Omnea, London
A hybrid policy and the ability to work from anywhere two weeks per quarter help inspire employees to find innovative solutions to complicated procurement processes.
Sanofi, Paris
Last year, the multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company unveiled a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture next-generation vaccines and medications.
Siemens, Munich
One of just two companies that has made the Best Workplaces for Innovators ranking all seven years, the German engineering giant operates Siemens Educates America with 70 training partners, and last year it generated 5,250 inventions and 2,900 patents.
Uncommon Creative Studio, London
The global creative agency offers benefits that encourage creativity and freedom: flexible work schedules and generous parental leave, for example.
Xero, Te Aro, New Zealand
The global accounting software company offers a range of leave benefits, including a 90-day work-from-anywhere policy.
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators Awards. Explore the full list of companies that are key hubs for fostering innovative talent. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
The AI, automation, and machine learning excellence category recognizes best workplaces for innovators that have thrived through innovative uses of new technologies.
Adobe, San Jose
The company’s Adobe Incubations, launched in 2024, develops and scales new products, such as a multiplayer mood board to enhance the conceptual process.
Alibaba Group, Hangzhou, China
Trade innovations, such as a new B2B AI search engine called Accio, help Alibaba Group move toward its mission to make it easy to do business anywhere.
Architech, Toronto
The cloud software firm held a three-month, company-wide hackathon where employees from different groups created AI-powered solutions to inefficiencies in their processes.
Generate:Biomedicines, Somerville, MA
Using generative AI models to program biology, the biotech company’s collaborative team aims to tackle diseasesand parts of virusespreviously considered undruggable.
IBM, Armonk, NY
A longtime leader in computing, IBM has spent the past year advancing its quantum computing technology and Granite, an artificial intelligence model that prioritizes open access and responsibility.
Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ
The 139-year-old company invested $17 billion in R&D last year, which funded its internal incubators and innovation hubs.
Lenovo, Morrisville, NC
Last year, Lenovo invested 3.6% of revenue in R&D, maintaining 18 R&D facilities and four AI innovation centers around the world.
Pella, Pella, IA
The centenary window and door company pushes employees at every level to innovate solutions, for instance, an engineer that made a new quality-control camera to make manufacturing more efficient.
Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati
After more than 185 years of innovation, Procter & Gamble has revolutionized its molecule discovery and product development process with its AI-powered Molecular Discovery Suite (MDS).
RIOS Intelligent Machines, Menlo Park, CA
The first AI platform for industrial engineering, developed by RIOS Intelligent Machines, aims to incorporate perceptive and focused technology solutions to help improve the work experience for engineers.
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators Awards. Explore the full list of companies that are key hubs for fostering innovative talent. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
The Innovative Team of the Year recognizes groups of employees at Best Workplaces for Innovators that have gone above and beyond, driving important innovations in their workplace.
Winner: Badge
Lewes, DE
Cofounded by Tina P. Srivastava and Charles Herder, cybersecurity startup Badge aims to revolutionize biometric authentication with its trademarked Identity Without Secrets system, which eliminates the need to store user credentials. The companys cryptography team worked with a CISO Council of outside experts to reduce the time for user authentication from multiple seconds to 22 milliseconds, a latency reduction that not only enhances user experience but also places less stress on computer resources. Since 2024, the team has secured more than 15 patents, and Badge technology is used by Microsoft, Cisco, Okta, and Ping Identity.
Finalists:
Hebbia, New York
Hebbias engagement team is redefining what it means to serve enterprise customers in the age of AI. The team helps customers scale usage across functions and regions, customizing AI strategy from the ground up.
Match Group, Dallas
Operating a portfolio of dating sites (including Tinder, Match, OkCupid, and Hinge), the company combines design and technical experimentation in its Art x Science Lab, innovating everything from prototyping systems to user games.
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators Awards. Explore the full list of companies that are key hubs for fostering innovative talent. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
This category recognizes companies that have implemented innovative and effective strategies to boost employee morale and engagement during challenging times.
FutureThink, New York
Quarterly Kill a Stupid Rule sessions empower employees at the business services and management consulting firm to streamline workplace processes.
Land O’Lakes, Arden Hills, MN
In the face of pandemic-era disruptions, leaders at the member-owned agricultural cooperative advocated to bring flexible work to its manufacturing team.
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators Awards. Explore the full list of companies that are key hubs for fostering innovative talent. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
The large companies category recognizes best workplaces for innovators with 1,000+ employees that have outpaced their cohort in fostering cultures of innovation.
American Red Cross, Washington, D.C.
The 144-year-old American Red Cross is embracing AI to save time and money generating questions for two of their training exams, babysitting and basic life support.
Ardurra, Miami
The engineering and consulting firm operates an Innovation Hub that functions as an internal incubator where employees can submit ideas that are evaluated by a diverse Shark Tank-style panel of senior experts.
Chipotle, Newport Beach, CA
Last year, Chipotle doubled down on its Cultivate Next venture fund, committing $100 million to the initiative, which is designed to make early-stage investments in companies that align with Chipotles mission of fostering sustainability, innovation, and culinary excellence.
Fidelity Information Services, Jacksonville, FL
Giving employees a chance to create and collaborate at an annual 48-hour innovation event, Fidelity Information Services filed more than 300 new patents last year.
Jazwares, Plantation, FL
The toy company behind popular brands like Squishmallows inspires innovation with employee education programs and a twice-yearly initiative that brings new product ideas directly to company leaders.
Merck & Co., Rahway, NJ
Embracing future leaders within their ranks, the pharmaceutical giant has invested in leadership skill development and developed new learning opportunities for employees, such as on-demand content and an app.
Salesforce, San Francisco
Salesforce encourages employees to research and develop AI tools. The latest, Agentforce, allows clients to customize their own AI agents for business tasks.
Symbotic, Wilmington, MA
To streamline fulfillment of small-quantity orders, the robotics company developed an AI-driven system that can slash costs and improve efficiency in warehouses.
TIAA, New York
The centenarian financial services company is embracing new technologiessuch as its new generative AI platform, TIAA gAItto streamline customer experiences across the expansive business.
T-Mobile, Bellevue, WA
The telecommunications company collaborated across its networkand across employee teamsto develop T-Priority, a new 5G solution that improves first responders call connectivity.
Trimble, Westminster, CO
A 24-hour hackathon led a Trimble engineer to develop the global tech companys first internal AI program.
Wealthsimple Technologies, Toronto
Alternative investment funds with a low barrier to entrythe brainchild of a cross-functional team at Wealthsimple Technologieshave helped thousands of Canadians access wealth management services.
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators Awards. Explore the full list of companies that are key hubs for fostering innovative talent. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
