Pinnacle expands recall to include frozen pancakes, waffles, and french toast
Food brand’s products potentially contaminated with listeria bacteria
BALTIMORE (May 16, 2017) – The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is warning consumers not to eat Aunt Jemima Brand, Hungry Man, and Save-A-Lot brands’ frozen pancakes, frozen waffles, frozen chicken-and-waffles and frozen french toast products because of concerns about listeria bacteria. Listeria can contaminate frozen food and survive over an extended period of time with long shelf lives of up to a few years.
Pinnacle Foods of Parsippany, N.J., and other food suppliers that use Pinnacle Foods products are recalling 25 frozen food products because they might be contaminated with listeria. The recalled frozen products were distributed nationwide, including to Maryland. These products are sold in most large grocery store chains.
The Aunt Jemima and Hungry Man Products affected by this recall are listed on the FDA website here. The Save-A-Lot Products affected by this recall are listed on the FDA website here. The Valley Innovative Services Products affected by this recall are listed on the USDA FSIS website here.
Listeriosis can be a life-threatening, invasive infection caused when people eat eating listeria-contaminated food. The disease primarily affects pregnant women and their newborns, older adults, and people with immune systems weakened by cancer, cancer treatments, or other serious conditions (diabetes, kidney failure, liver disease, and HIV/AIDS).
A person with listeriosis generally has fever and muscle aches and can develop a bloodstream infection or meningitis. Although people sometimes can develop listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food, symptoms usually start within several days, often with diarrhea. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Anyone who suspects they might have listeriosis should contact their healthcare provider.
Symptoms may vary depending on the health status of the person and severity of the illness:
- Higher-risk people: Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other non-specific symptoms. However, infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
- Healthy people: Healthy people rarely develop invasive listeriosis, but they can experience a milder illness with fever and diarrhea.
Due to the long shelf lives of such frozen foods, consumers should check their freezers for these products – even if they have not purchased them recently. Consumers who have purchased a recalled product should return it to the store for a refund or should discard it in a way that prevents other people from eating it. Consumers seeking additional information may call 844-551-5595 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The health department anticipates that this recall might expand further, and it will continue to monitor the recall’s status and will provide updates accordingly.
To date, no listeria-related illnesses have been linked to any of the products recently recalled for contamination, however, the health department will continue to monitor and investigate. More information about listeria can be found on our website.
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