Approaching Valentine's Day, the FDA has a warning on 60 varieties of sweets "within expiration"...including from a beloved donut chain brand.
More Than 2 Million Cases of Popular Donuts & Pastries Recalled in the U.S. & Canada
Published on Feb. 07, 2025
Another sweets season is fast approaching with Valentine’s Day days away, but a new advisory may make you think twice before passing out the classroom treats or setting out dessert for coworkers.
Thursday night, February 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out an announcement advising that in January, a mass recall had been issued to affect 2,017,614 cases of grocery-sold donuts and other pastries. Distributed nationwide throughout the U.S. and Canada by FGF, LLC, the reason for the recall is “potential for contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.”
FGF, which has facilities in both the U.S. and Canada, produces grocery store brands of breads and pastries such as Stonefire naan bread, and, based on the FDA report, Dunkin’s supermarket line of donuts. The company bills itself as “a technology company that bakes,” executing “the most advanced baking on Earth.” They say: “For decades, a large part of industrial baking was achieved through low-tech machinery and artificial ingredients. Not anymore. By combining robotics, AI systems, and supply chain innovations, we eliminate the need for synthetic ingredients from the food we all eat. Finally, the cleanest possible recipes and hand-made quality are being delivered at scale, at a price people can afford—and we won’t stop until the whole world is eating great food.”
The recall affects all products that were produced on or before December 13, 2024, totaling 60 product varieties. The announcement dubs these products as “within expiration,” which could possibly mean that the products are still available. Fifteen Dunkin products are included in the recall, including Munchkins, as well as a variety of brand names on apple fritters, French crullers, paczki pastries, cake rings, cinnamon sticks, and more. Referring to the recall link above, all recall numbers spanning from F-0470-2025 to F-0529-2025 have been assigned to products involved in the incident.
On February 5, the FDA updated its notice to designate the incident as a Class II recall, meaning “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
Listeria is a foodborne bacteria that can cause mild to severe, or even life-threatening illness. According to national data, an average 1,600 Americans are infected with Listeria each year, with 260 cases being fatal. Pregnant women, newborn infants, seniors, and people with compromised immune systems are at the greatest risk of complications.
People who have been infected with L. monocytogenes may experience flu-like symptoms, fever, headaches, muscle or joint stiffness, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures. In pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery of the infant.
If you’re not totally comfortable with robots making your food, studying the manufacturer on the products you buy may be another detail on the label worth paying attention to.
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