A recall of hundreds of frozen waffle products 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.
Any customers who purchased the Hannaford brand frozen waffles, supplied by Treehouse Foods, should not eat them and return them to their local Hannaford for a refund.
That includes:
— Hannaford chocolate chip waffles in a 12.3 ounce container with sell-by dates between Jan. 20, 2025, and July 27, 2025. The UPC code is 04126819632. Customers should return if bought between Jan. 1 and Oct. 18.
— Hannaford homestyle waffles in a 12.3 ounce container with sell-by dates between Nov. 14, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2025. The UPC code is 04126819629. Customers should return if bought between Jan. 1 and Oct. 18.
— Hannaford multigrain waffles in a 12.3 ounce container with sell-by dates between Nov. 14, 2024, and July 25, 2025. The UPC code is 04126819631. Customers should return if bought between Jan. 1 and Oct. 18.
— Hannaford blueberry waffles in a 12.3 ounce container with sell-by dates between Oct. 14, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2025. The UPC code is 04126819628. Customers should return if bought between Jan. 1 and Oct. 18.
— Hannaford buttermilk waffles in a 12.3 ounce container with sell-by dates between Nov. 15, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2025. The UPC code is 04126819630. Customers should return if bought between Jan. 1 and Oct. 18.
The new guidance has extended to include:
— Kodiak Toaster Chocolate Chip Waffles in a 10.72 ounce container, with sell-by dates of Oct. 26, 2024, Nov. 16, 2024, Jan. 17, 2025, and Dec. 1, 2025. The UPC code is 70559901320. Customers should return if bought before Oct. 18.
— Kodiak Cakes Power Waffles Buttermilk & Vanilla in a 13.4 ounce container, with sell-by dates of Oct. 15, 2024 through March 19, 2026. The UPC code is 70559901221. Customers should return if bought before Oct. 18.
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.
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.
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 CDC estimates that 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year in the United States and 260 die.
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.
This month Oregon-based BrucePac recalled nearly 12 million pounds of meat and poultry processed at an Oklahoma plant after routine testing detected listeria.
Story by Jonel Aleccia. BDN reporters Chris Burns and Leela Stockley contributed to this story.
