Recall of frozen waffles, pancakes over possible listeria contamination reaches Washington
Oct 22, 2024, 3:09 PM
The Simple Truth brand of waffles, are part of a recall due to listeria concerns. This brand of waffles is available at Kroger stores, including Fred Meyer and QFC. (Photo courtesy of TreeHouse Foods/brantfordwafflerecall.com)
(Photo courtesy of TreeHouse Foods/brantfordwafflerecall.com)
A recall of hundreds of frozen waffles and pancakes and other toaster foods sold in many U.S. grocery stores has expanded because they may be contaminated with dangerous listeria bacteria, the manufacturer said Tuesday.
TreeHouse Foods Inc., of Oak Brook, Illinois, said the updated recall includes all products made at a factory in Ontario, Canada, and sold at stores including Albertson’s, Aldi, Dollar General, Kroger, Publix, Target, Walmart and others. The recall includes frozen toaster waffles, Belgian waffles and pancakes, the company said.
No illnesses linked to the recall have been confirmed.
The company is working with the U.S. and Canadian food safety regulators to resolve the problem. The recalled waffles are sold under a variety of names including Walmart’s Great Value and Target’s Good & Gather. A complete list of the affected products can be found on the TreeHouse website. Consumers should throw away the products or return them to stores for a refund.
MyNorthwest reached out to TreeHouse Foods to inquire about whether the recall of items reached shoppers in the Pacific Northwest. A spokesman referred to its announcement, which states, “Recalled products were distributed throughout all states and provinces within the United States and Canada and packed in various formats under (various) brand names.”
The spokesman added the best resource to determine what local retailers likely carry the recalled products is the following website the company set up for this purpose: brantfordwafflerecall.com.
TreeHouse officials issued a limited recall on Oct. 18 after routine testing found listeria at the Brantford, Ontario, factory. Additional testing indicated that more manufacturing lines at the plant could be contaminated with the bacteria, the company said. Production was halted and the company said it intends to restart production after taking steps that include “deep cleaning, sanitation, hygienic restoration” and other procedures.
The company operates 26 sites in the U.S. and Canada that make private brand foods and beverages, according to its website. No other plants were affected, officials said.
More on the dangers of listeria
Listeria infections can cause mild illness including fever and diarrhea or more serious problems. The illness is most dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Symptoms can take up to 10 weeks to appear.
The FSIS also notes that listeriosis “can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.”
The CDC estimates that 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year in the United States and 260 die. It adds that Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States.
Previous food concerns: Cinnamon products prompt Washington Poison Center health warnings
Waffle, pancake products not alone in recent listeria recalls
This is the third large U.S. recall in recent months of foods potentially contaminated with listeria, a hardy bacteria that can be difficult to eradicate.
In July, Boar’s Head Provision Co. Inc. of Sarasota, Florida, recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat and shut down its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, after deli meat contaminated with listeria led to at least 10 deaths and nearly 50 hospitalizations.
Nearly 12 million pounds of meat and poultry products have been recalled this month and those items may have reached more than 120 stores in the state of Washington, according to a report from a federal agency.
Additional listeria issues: Over 120 Washington stores part of major meat, poultry recall
BrucePac is completing the recall after the FSIS performed routine product testing of ready-to-eat (RTE) poultry products produced by the company at its facility Durant, Oklahoma, facility and confirmed those products positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The company has a facility in Durant, but the company is based in Woodburn, Oregon.
Contributing: The Associated Press; Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest
