Hundreds of frozen waffle products recalled over Listeria fears

Hundreds of frozen waffle products sold across major US retailers have been recalled due to concerns over possible Listeria risk.

On Friday (October 18), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that Illinois-based manufacturer TreeHouse Foods issued a voluntary recall of certain frozen waffle products due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the US.

TreeHouse Foods issued the voluntary recall after discovering possible contamination during routine testing at its plant, according to Associated Press.

The recalled frozen waffle products are sold under multiple brand names, including Walmart’s Great Value, Target’s Good & Gather, and private label brands sold by Food Lion, Kroger, and Schnucks. The manufacturing company has published a complete list, which can be found here.

So far, there have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to the recalled products, according to the FDA.

In a statement to The Independent shared on Tuesday (October 22), TreeHouse Foods said it “has expanded its voluntary recall to now include all griddle products manufactured at our Brantford, Ontario, Canada, facility.”

“The frozen toaster waffle, Belgian waffle, and pancake products are being recalled due to the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. We have no confirmed reports of illness or injury linked to the recalled products. We are working with our retail customers to retrieve and destroy the recalled products, and encourage consumers to check their freezers for any of the products subject to the recall and dispose of them, or return them to the place of purchase for a refund,” the company said.

Listeria infection is caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Symptoms of listeria infection, also known as listeriosis, include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The illness is most dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems. A Listeria infection in pregnant people has the potential to cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

The CDC estimates that 1,600 people are infected with Listeria each year in the US, and 260 people die from the infection.

The frozen waffle products join the growing list of food items being recalled over Listeria concerns. Earlier this month, almost 10 million pounds of meat were recalled by the US Department of Agriculture after products tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The ready-to-eat poultry and meat products were recalled by BrucePac, an establishment in Durant, Oklahoma.

“The problem was discovered after USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) performed routine product testing of finished product containing RTE [ready-to-eat] poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed those products positive for Listeria monocytogenes,” the department wrote.

“Subsequent FSIS investigation identified BrucePac RTE chicken as the source of the Listeria monocytogenes.”

Approximately 9,986,245 pounds of product were thought to have been contaminated, the organization said. There have since been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the contaminated products.

Additional reporting from AP.