A nationwide frozen waffle recall is here to ruin your breakfast with fears of Listeria, a potentially deadly bacteria

If you’re a waffle lover, you’re going to want to check your fridge right now. That’s because TreeHouse Foods, a major food processor in the United States, has announced a voluntary recall of hundreds of waffle products it makes for various brand names due to fears of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s happened?

On October 18, TreeHouse Foods, Inc. announced it was voluntarily recalling hundreds of waffle products it makes for various brands in the United States and Canada.

TreeHouse says the recall was initiated after the company discovered the presence of Listeria during “routine testing at the manufacturing facility.” TreeHouse did not specify which manufacturing facility or facilities this involved, but the company has 26 such facilities in the United States and Canada.

What products are affected?

Hundreds of waffle products are affected by this recall. The list of products is so long that the PDF document listing all the products line-by-line is 14 pages (although many of the products have identical descriptions with different lot codes and “best by” dates). Several well-known brand names are among the waffle products on the list, including those made by Publix and Food Lion.

Brands with waffle products that are impacted by this recall include:

• Always Save
• Best Choice
• Bettergoods
• Breakfast Best
• Clover Valley
• Compliments
• Essentials
• Food Lion
• Foodhold
• Giant Eagle
• Good & Gather
• Great Value
• Hannaford
• Harris TeeterH-E-B Higher Harvest
• Kodiak Cakes
• Pics by Price Chopper
• Publix
• Schnucks
• SE Grocers
• Selection
• Simple Truth
• Tops
• Western Family

A list of the individual products can be found here, and images of some of the affected products’ packaging can be found here.

What is Listeria?

Listeria is a bacteria that can cause infections in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Infections are rare but can be serious. Many Listeria infections happen when the bacteria is ingested via contaminated food.

Listeria can be particularly harmful for people who are 65 years of age or older, who are pregnant, who have weakened immune systems, and for newborns. The infection can be deadly. CDC data shows about 1,600 people in the United States are infected with Listeria each year, and as many as 260 of those die from the infection.

TreeHouse says that no illnesses associated with these products have been reported to date.

What are the symptoms of a Listeria infection?

Symptoms vary depending on whether a person is pregnant or not. If a person is not pregnant, the CDC says symptoms of a Listeria infection generally include:

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Seizures

If a person is pregnant, symptoms often include:

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue

Listeria can also cause intestinal illness, symptoms of which include diarrhea and vomiting.

If you think you may have a listeria infection, you should check with a healthcare provider right away.

What should I do if I have one of the recalled products?

Everyone should check their refrigerators and freezers to see if they have any of the recalled products. If they do, they should not consume them. Instead, the product should be thrown away or returned to the store for a refund, according to the notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

What has TreeHouse Foods said about the recall?

The company was the one to initiate the recall voluntarily after the discovery of Listera during routine testing. It has published the recall notice on its website.

TreeHouse Foods was founded in 2005. Its stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker THS. As of the time of the writing, the company’s stock price does not seem to have been negatively impacted by the recall news.

THS shares only traded 0.76% lower to $41.87 at the close of bell on Friday, the day the recall was announced.