Frozen Waffles Sold in Walmart, Target, and Dollar General Recalled Amid Listeria Fears

The packaging of two styles of waffles, among hundreds of brands of frozen waffles, that are part of a voluntary recall because the products could be contaminated with dangerous listeria bacteria. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. via AP

Multiple brands of frozen waffle products sold by Illinois-based TreeHouse Foods are being pulled from the market after the items were suspected of being contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

The voluntary recall was issued after Listeria contamination was discovered during routine testing at the company’s manufacturing facility, according to an Oct. 18 company announcement published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The items were distributed throughout the United States and Canada.

The recall is applicable to frozen waffle products sold under various brand names, including Always Save, Best Choice, Bettergoods, Breakfast Best, Clover Valley, Essentials, Food Lion, FoodHold, Giant Eagle, Good & Gather, Great Value, Hannaford, Harris Teeter, H-E-B Higher Harvest, Kodiak Cakes, Pics by Price Chopper, Publix, Schnucks, SE Grocers, Simple Truth, Tops, Western Family, Great Value, Selection, and Compliments.

Some of these brands are owned by major retail firms. For instance, Bettergoods was launched by Walmart. Target owns Good & Gather, and Clover Valley is owned by Dollar General.

While there have been no confirmed reports of any illness linked to these products so far, individuals who consumed the items and are concerned about contracting an illness should get in touch with a health care provider, the firm said.

“Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” according to the announcement.

“Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”

Consumers and retailers can identify withdrawn items by the UPC code on the back of the cartons as well as the Lot Code and “Best By” dates.

The FDA published a complete list of the codes on their website. In addition, an 85-page document has been published depicting images of all the recalled products.

“Consumers should check their freezers for any of the products listed above and dispose of them or return the recalled product to the place of purchase for credit,” the announcement said. Those who have queries can contact TreeHouse Foods at 800-596-2903.

Together with the FDA, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was also made aware of the recall.

Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the United States, affecting 1,600 people annually and leading to the deaths of 260, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Listeria are “hardy” germs that typically spread from food, according to the CDC. The pathogen can spread in places like food processing facilities. Once this happens, it can be difficult to fully remove the organism from these places, the CDC notes.

Some foods that are more likely to be contaminated with Listeria include soft cheeses, raw milk, deli foods, prepared meats, sprouts, melons, and cold-smoked fish.

Listeria infection can manifest as two types of illnesses. The first is intestinal illness that usually starts within 24 hours after eating food contaminated by the bacteria and typically lasts 1–3 days. Symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting.

“This kind of illness is rarely diagnosed because laboratories do not regularly test patient samples for Listeria,” the CDC notes.

The second type is invasive illness in which the bacteria spreads beyond the intestines. Symptoms usually start within two weeks after eating contaminated food. Some people with intestinal illness may end up developing invasive illness.

The CDC recommends people to get in touch with their doctor if they have eaten food that has been recalled or linked to an outbreak or they experience symptoms of Listeria infection.

Marwan Azar, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases expert, also recommends people to visit a doctor if they are experiencing symptoms of Listeria infection “no matter how mild they may be,” according to a Sept. 13 post by Yale Medicine.

A doctor “can at least stay in close contact with you to monitor for the development of more concerning signs and symptoms, such as a fever,” Azar said. “So, if, two days later, you develop a fever, a plan would be in place.”

Another major Listeria-linked recall was initiated this month, with Oklahoma-based BrucePac pulling out nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry from the market. The recall was later expanded to approximately 12 million.

Multiple food items containing the withdrawn products were affected as well. These items were sold via stores like Walmart, Kroger, Trader Joe’s, 7-Eleven, Target, and Amazon Fresh.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has put out a list of more than 200 schools that likely received the products under scrutiny.