Mass Recall of Frozen Waffle Products Linked to Potential Listeria Contamination

Hundreds of frozen waffle products have been recalled by a major food manufacturer due to listeria contamination concerns. TreeHouse Foods/handout photo

Hundreds of frozen waffle products sold across Canada and the United States have been recalled after testing found potential listeria contamination at a southwestern Ontario manufacturing plant.

TreeHouse Foods issued a voluntary recall Oct. 18 after discovering possible listeria monocytogenes contamination during routine testing at its Brantford facility.

The company did not say which Canadian retailers are affected by the listeria advisory, but the recalled waffle products include Walmart’s Great Value brand, sold exclusively at Walmart; Metro’s Selection brand, available at Food Basics and Metro grocery stores; Sobeys Inc.’s Compliments brand, sold at Foodland, Sobeys, and Fresh Co; and Loblaws’ No Name brand, which can be purchased at No Frills.

“There have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to the recalled products to date,” said a press release from the multinational food processing company, which is headquartered in Illinois. “This recall is being carried out with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).”

The company is advising customers to check their freezers for any of the products on its recall list. Consumers can either dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a credit.

The move follows another major recall of plant-based milks in Canada amid a deadly listeria outbreak last month. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recently wrapped up its investigation into the listeria contamination linked to several Silk and Great Value plant-based milks.

The outbreak, which resulted in three deaths, was officially declared “over” on Oct. 11. PHAC concluded its investigation the same day, saying no new cases had been reported since August.

There were 20 confirmed infections in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Alberta, including three deaths, and 15 hospitalizations, the agency said.

The illnesses prompted a national recall of 15 Silk plant-based milk products and three Great Value refrigerated beverages on July 8.

What is Listeriosis?

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial illness that causes listeriosis, a bacterial infection. Products contaminated with listeria will look, smell, and taste normal, but can still make you sick, according to Health Canada.

The illness often causes nausea, vomiting, fever, muscle aches, headache, diarrhea, and neck stiffness but can also lead to more serious symptoms such as meningitis and blood poisoning.

While healthy individuals can fall ill from a listeria infection, the disease can become fatal for individuals aged 60 and older, unborn babies, and newborns, Health Canada said.

“Although people infected while pregnant may only experience mild, flu-like symptoms, listeriosis can spread to their unborn baby, and it can cause a miscarriage, a stillbirth, a premature birth, or life-threatening illness in your baby shortly after birth,” the agency said.

Symptoms of severe listeriosis can appear up to 70 days after listeria exposure.

Invasive listeriosis has been a nationally notifiable disease in all provinces and territories since 2007, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Approximately 134 cases of invasive listeriosis have been reported annually in the country in recent years.