Potato Recall Update as FDA Sets Risk Level

The risk level of more than 10,000 recalled potato products has been updated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Veggies Made Great brand Broccoli Cheddar Breakfast Potato Bakes were voluntarily recalled in early May due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The item has now been updated to a Class II, meaning that when the product is used, it "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," according the FDA definition.

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It is the third most serious type of classification, in which the "probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." Previously, the product had not been classified, but this was updated on Monday, June 3. Newsweek has contacted Veggies Made Great for comment via email outside or regular working hours.

The FDA has two other classifications for recalled products. A Class I recall is issued when there is a "reasonable probability" that use of or exposure to a product could "cause serious adverse health consequences or death." The less serious Class III recall is put in place if a recalled product is believed to be unlikely to cause any "adverse health consequences" if consumed or used.

In all, 10,544 boxes of the potato bakes bearing the lot code 11724 and best if used by date of October 18, 2025, have been recalled. The products were sold in retail stores in the western U.S. states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada.

As no news release appears to have been issued by the FDA at the time of the recall, it is unclear how the product may have been contaminated with Listeria. It is also unknown if any illnesses have been reported in relation to the product. Newsweek has contacted the FDA for clarification via email outside of normal working hours.

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Listeria has the potential to cause severe, life-threatening illness in vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. It has also been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women, who are 10 times more likely to become infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms of a less serious infection may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. More serious cases can lead to additional symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion and convulsions. Anyone who believes they may be seriously ill should contact their health care provider without delay.

The CDC has estimated that 1,600 people in the U.S. are infected with Listeria each year. About 260 of those infected die from their illness, with the CDC listing it as the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the country.