Bad news for breakfast lovers: A bunch of frozen waffles have been recalled—and your favorite option may well be among them.
On October 18, the FDA announced that manufacturer TreeHouse Foods was voluntarily recalling a slew of frozen waffle products due to possible contamination with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled items were distributed across the US and Canada and sold at a bunch of major retailers, including H-E-B, Walmart, Publix, and Target, according to the FDA announcement. This issue was discovered after routine testing at the manufacturing facility.
Here’s a list of the affected brands, organized alphabetically:
- Always Save
- Best Choice
- Bettergoods
- Breakfast Best
- Clover Valley
- Compliments
- Essentials
- Foodhold
- Food Lion
- Giant Eagle
- Good & Gather
- Great Value
- Hannaford
- Harris Teeter
- Higher Harvest by H-E-B
- Kodiak Cakes
- PICS by Price Chopper
- Publix
- Schnucks
- SE Grocers
- Selection
- Simple Truth
- Tops
- Western Family
You can find the complete list of product names, UPC and lot codes, and best-by dates—which range from 2024 to 2026—here, and photos of their labels here. Overall, hundreds of products, ranging from pumpkin-flavored seasonal faves, protein-centered options, and homestyle originals were affected, along with chocolate chip, multigrain, and blueberry varieties (among others).
No reports of illness linked to the frozen waffles have been confirmed, according to the FDA. Still, if you have any products hanging out in your freezer, you should toss them or return them to the place of purchase for a store credit, the organization said, adding those with concerns should contact a health care provider. You can also call TreeHouse Foods at 800-596-2903 with any questions.
And no, freezing your food won’t kill Listeria, so if you find one of the affected waffle products in question in your icebox, you definitely shouldn’t eat it: Listeria monocytogenes can be serious. In fact, a Listeria infection, known as listeriosis, is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the US, according to CDC estimates. Symptoms can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and diarrhea, and people 65 and older, immunocompromised folks, and pregnant people and their newborns are especially high-risk.
Another reason to stay vigilant: This isn’t the first Listeria-related food recall to hit the news recently, as SELF previously reported. On October 9, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items had been recalled for similar reasons. So check your freezer and your fridge—and not just before breakfast, either.
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