The makers of Aunt Jemima pancakes and waffles voluntarily recalled 19 varieties of the company’s frozen products due to possible listeria contamination.
Pinnacle Foods, Inc. issued the recall on May 5 as a precautionary measure. This happened after “testing indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the plant environment.”
The company announcement said no consumers reported illnesses from these products as of the recall release.
Affected Aunt Jemima Products List
The 19 affected products and its package UPCs include:
Anyone who finds these products in their freezer should return them. Affected customers will receive a full refund.
Also, any stores carrying these products will pull them from their shelves immediately.
The recall only affects these products. Aunt Jemima dry mixes and syrups are safe, according to the recall statement.
Anyone with questions about the recall can call Pinnacle Foods at (888) 299-7646.
What Is Listeria And How Does It Affect Us?
Listeria monocytogenes is a long, scientific name for an organism that can cause serious infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates listeria is the third-leading cause of death from food poisoning. Each year, approximately 1,600 people in the U.S. get sick from listeria and about 260 die from the pathogen.
According to the FDA, healthy people affected by listeria contamination may only experience mild symptoms. These could include fever, headache, nausea, stiffness and diarrhea. However, pregnant women could experience miscarriages and stillbirth. Children, the elderly or anyone with a diminished immune system could contract a fatal infection from listeria.
People affected with listeria can report symptoms starting one to four weeks after eating contaminated food. Listeria can live for up to 70 days in our bodies without showing any symptoms. Therefore, tracing the cause of the illness (including the source food) can be nearly impossible.
What To Do If You Suspect Listeria
The CDC recommends seeking medical care if you suspect you’ve eaten contaminated food. If you have a fever, fatigue and muscle aches within two months of eating possibly contaminated food, you should see a doctor. However, if you ate potentially contaminated food and do not feel sick, most medical experts feel patients don’t need testing or treatment.