3 Popular Grocery Items Are Being Pulled From Shelves

Store shelves are about to look a little barer the next time you head out to do your grocery shopping. Amid ongoing supply chain shortages, crossing items off your grocery list has become even more challenging amid three new food product recalls impacting popular items. Voluntary recalls have been issued for HQ Fine Foods sandwiches, African Foodways Market’s Tiger Nuts, and Amy’s Kitchen’s macaroni and cheese cases due to possible contamination and unlisted allergens.

The first of these recalls were issued in early January by African Foodways Market. The company issued a voluntary recall of certain re-packaged Tiger Nuts due to possible salmonella contamination from rodent infestation. A typical foodborne illness, symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever, and typically occur within 12 to 72 hours. Although the illness typically lasts four to seven days and doesn’t require treatment, in rare cases, the infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, requiring the individual to be hospitalized. A recall notice for the Tiger Nuts encouraged consumers who purchased the potentially contaminated products, which were mostly sold in Winnipeg, Manitoba, not to consume the recalled product. The full recall notice can be found by clicking here.

Just days after the Tiger Nuts recall, Amy’s Kitchen issued a voluntary recall of Lot 60J0421 of the Vegan Organic Rice Mac & Cheeze due to an unlisted allergen. In a recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Jan. 19, it was confirmed that Vegan Organic Rice Mac & Cheeze containing a “Best Buy” date of before Oct. 2023 and a UPC of 42272-00043 had the potential of having trace amounts of milk, which was not declared on the product label. The company issued the recall “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of consumers who have an allergy or sensitivity to milk.”

The third recent food recall was issued on Jan. 25 by HQ Fine Foods. According to Food Safety News, the company issued a voluntary recall of certain Quality fast foods brands and Hygaard Fine Foods Ltd. brand sandwiches due to possible listeria contamination. While no illnesses were reported in connection to the recall, listeria contamination can lead to serious and sometimes fatal infections. Cased by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium typically affects young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women, and others with weakened immune systems. It can cause high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The full recall notice, including a complete list of recalled products, can be found here.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are encouraged not to consume them. In most cases, the recalled products can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with further questions can also contact the individual companies.