Hundreds of frozen waffle products sold in Canada and the U.S. are being recalled after possible contamination by the Listeria bacteria was detected at an Ontario facility, according to the manufacturer.
TreeHouse Foods said Friday that it issued a voluntary recall after discovering possible contamination during routine testing at its Brantford, Ont., manufacturing facility. It said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and U.S. food regulators are aware of the recall.
The CFIA has not posted a recall advisory yet, but there are brands sold in Canada on TreeHouse Foods’ list of recalled products, including No Name, sold in Loblaws and No Frills; Walmart’s Great Value brand, sold in Walmarts in Canada; Metro’s Selection brand, sold at Metro and Food Basics; and Compliments, sold at Sobeys, Foodland, and FreshCo stores.
TreeHouse has published a full list of affected products.
Listeria infection can be fatal
Listeriosis — the illness caused by Listeria infection — can cause vomiting, fever, headache and diarrhea, among other symptoms. While cases can be mild, infections can also be serious or even fatal. 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.
Around 134 cases of invasive listeriosis are reported in Canada annually, according to PHAC.
TreeHouse said there have been no confirmed reports of illness related to the waffles.
The company said consumers holding any of the products should dispose of them or return them to the store for credit.
The Morning Edition – K-W8:50Food safety expert on what we need to know about Listeria
There have been several cases of listeria contamination prompting recalls in the last year.
CFIA recalled some plant-based beverages from the Silk and Great Value brands this summer after the products were connected to an outbreak of listeriosis. At least 20 people fell ill, and three people died in Ontario.
In early October, a CFIA investigation into an outbreak of food-related illnesses resulted in the recall of a number of beef jelly tongue products.