The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has escalated a recall of 60 doughnut products to a Class II recall, its second-highest level. The recall, initially announced on January 7, was upgraded on February 5, according to an update on the FDA’s website.
The products in question were manufactured by FGF Brands and distributed across grocery stores in the United States and Canada. The recall encompasses over 2 million cases of doughnuts, fritters, paczki, eclairs, and munchkins, all produced before December 13, 2024, and still within their expiration dates.
The potential contamination of these products with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause listeriosis if ingested, prompted the recall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that listeriosis affects approximately 1,600 people annually, resulting in around 260 deaths.
The CDC identifies pregnant women and their newborns, adults over 65, and individuals with weakened immune systems as the most vulnerable to listeria. While other groups are less likely to become seriously ill from exposure, unborn infants are particularly at risk. The CDC states that listeria infection during pregnancy can result in fetal loss in about 20% of cases and newborn death in about 3% of cases.
The FDA’s Class II recall classification is used when the use of or exposure to a product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or when the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote. This is in contrast to a Class I recall, the highest level, which is issued when there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
In 2024, a listeria outbreak linked to a deli meat processing plant resulted in nine deaths and numerous hospitalizations, highlighting the potential severity of such contaminations.