Frozen Waffles Sold At Grocery Stores Recalled For Listeria

Hundreds of frozen waffles sold at nationwide grocers like Target and Walmart are being recalled by Illinois manufacturer TreeHouse Foods due to concerns of listeria contamination, according to the FDA. The voluntary recall was announced on October 18 alongside a list of potentially impacted brands that include Breakfast Best, Great Value, Kodiak Cakes, and Western Family. The recall was triggered by evidence of listeria contamination found during a routine inspection at one of the TreeHouse Foods facilities. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the waffles, but as with the recent egg recall, the zero-sugar lemonade recall, and the multi-state Lactaid recall, TreeHouse Foods suggests consumers check their freezers and throw out any products that are on the FDA's recall list.

TreeHouse Foods is a major food manufacturer headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois that operates 26 facilities making food and beverage products in the United States and Canada for other brands, as well as under private label. It was founded in 2005 and has expanded to employ more than 4,000 people. The recent recall is connected to the Illinois manufacturing facility.

The recall extends across more than 600 types of frozen waffles, stretching from multigrain and buttermilk varieties all the way to blueberry and chocolate chip. Also on the list are seasonal products like Breakfast Best Pumpkin Waffles. If you lean on frozen waffles for your morning breakfast or for an easy snack, here's what you should know about the dangers of listeria.

Listeria is a bacteria that can cause illness, serious infections, and even death in anyone with a weakened immune system, including young children and elderly people. The bacteria can also cause pregnancy complications and can be transferred to babies in utero or at birth. Less severe symptoms of listeriosis include headache and fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. About 1,600 people get listeria infections in America every year, according to the CDC, compared to the 1.4 million cases of salmonella contamination reported in the U.S. annually. While listeriosis is rarer than salmonellosis or other food-borne illnesses, the range of symptoms is wider, including fever and muscle aches. Listeria bacteria can also survive at colder temperatures than other types of bacteria and it can thrive in the fridge. Freezer temperatures won't kill listeria, which is why a recall was required.