Listeria seems like it’s everywhere lately. This summer’s Boar’s Head listeria outbreak was the biggest and most deadly since 2011. Then last week, BrucePac recalled 10 million pounds of meat at places like Trader Joe’s and Target. Listeria and meat, you can kind of expect from time to time. The latest outbreak, though, is tied to waffles.
In a press release, a company called TreeHouse Foods says routine testing at its Brantford, Ontario, manufacturing facility uncovered contaminated batches of its waffles, which have since been recalled. The recall is extensive, affecting hundreds of frozen waffle products across 25 different product lines.
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They’re sold in the U.S. and Canada under a variety of store brands, like Walmart’s Great Value and Target’s Good & Gather. Food Lion, Harris Teeter, and Publix were among the many suppliers affected.
Listeria outbreaks are still relatively rare compared to other foodborne illnesses, but they can have severe consequences. Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections to vulnerable groups like the elderly, young children, or immunocompromised individuals.
The CDC estimates that 1,600 people get listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria bacteria, each year. Of those, the CDC says approximately 260 people die per year.
Thankfully, TreeHouse says no actual listeria cases have been reported yet. For now, the waffle recall is a totally precautionary measure. The full list of affected waffles is available via the FDA.