On Thursday, General Mills issued a voluntary national recall of four flavors of its Nature Valley brand bars. It is one of a growing number of snack suppliers to do so as a result of industrywide listeria concerns.
Two flavors of Nature Valley protein chewy bars and two flavors of its simple nut bars have been affected. (See exact product details here.) There have been no consumer illnesses related to the outbreak, according to a statement by General Mills.
Last month, two producers of sunflower kernels—TreeHouse Foods and SunOpta—announced concerns over a listeria infection of sunflowers, leading to a recall of over 100 packaged snacks. The brands affected included nut brand Nature’s Harvest, protein bars from Meijer’s store brand, and fruit and nut bars from Great Value, the Walmart (WMT) store brand.
More recently, energy bar maker Clif Bar recalled three of its flavors on Thursday, the same day that General Mills (GIS) issued its warning. Quaker Oats has expanded a voluntary recall of its Quinoa Granola Bars due to possible listeria contamination.
Listeria is a bacteria that causes listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems.
In related food safety news, General Mills issued a voluntary recall of about 10 million pounds of flour last Tuesday due to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 38 people.
