FGF Brands has issued a nationwide recall of several of its donut products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
Why It Matters
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) divides recalls into three categories: Class I, Class II, and Class III. A Class II recall occurs when “use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” or the likelihood of “adverse health consequences is remote.”
What to Know
FGF Brands announced a voluntary recall of 60 of its donut products. A spokesperson for FGF Brands told Newsweek that the recall is now complete, and that no products on the market are affected.
FGF Brands also stated that none of the products tested positive for Listeria, that the recall was a precautionary measure based on findings unrelated to the product at a testing facility in the United States, and that the donuts are safe to eat.
They also stated that they acted out of an abundance of caution and that food safety is their primary concern.
The product was recalled on January 7, and the FDA assigned it a Class II classification on February 5.
The products were distributed nationwide in the United States.
This is a complete list of the impacted products:
They are being recalled due to a possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can be fatal to young children, the frail or elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, accounting for 1,600 infections and 260 deaths each year.
For people who do not belong to vulnerable groups, listeria infection—also known as listeriosis—usually causes food poisoning symptoms like fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headaches, diarrhea, and vomiting, which should go away within a few days.
Pregnant women who are exposed to listeria are at risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in their newborn.
More than 80% of Americans are concerned about food recalls, according to a Civic Science report based on data from more than 2,000 U.S. adults collected between December 2 and 4 and weighted to be nationally representative.
Almost half of the Civic Science survey respondents said they didn’t trust grocery stores or food brands to keep their food safe. Three in ten people said they had been personally affected by recalled products.
The CDC estimated in 2019 that six major foodborne pathogens caused nearly ten million illnesses in the United States each year.
The true number is likely to be higher; the CDC announced on Tuesday that it would publish updated estimates soon.
What People Are Saying
The FDA said in a press release: “Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the frail or elderly, and others with compromised immune systems. Although healthy people may experience only temporary symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Listeria infection can result in miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.”
What Happens Next?
The recall has now been completed.
