Hostess Twinkies Recall 2017: Full List Of Products Affected, How To Get A Refund

Confectionary giant Hostess announced a recall of certain boxes of Twinkies Tuesday. The company issued a voluntary recall of its Holiday White Peppermint Twinkies due to possible salmonella contamination.

The Chicago-based business that produced the candy coating on the Twinkies, Blommer Chocolate Company, revealed the product might contain milk powder contaminated with salmonella. However, so far, none of the Twinkies have tested positive for salmonella, and nobody has reported illness.

“Hostess is initiating this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution,” the Food and Drug Administration said in an announcement Tuesday.

It’s unclear exactly how many products were affected by the recall, though the company said it applies only to White Peppermint Twinkies with the label UPC 888109111571 sold in multipack boxes. The Twinkies in question were distributed to grocery stores, discount stores and convenience stores throughout the United States, according to the FDA.

Other Hostess products are not impacted.

Hostess asked that customers who bought any of the Twinkies return them to the place where they were purchased in order to obtain a full refund. For additional questions and concerns, Hostess urged customers to call 1-800-483-7253.

Salmonella is estimated to cause more than one million illnesses every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria is usually transmitted to humans through foods contaminated with animal feces. Since there's typically no way to tell when products are contaminated aside from testing, voluntary recalls like Hostess’ are typical in the presence of possible contamination.

Salmonella usually causes symptoms such as fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain for anywhere from four to seven days. In severe instances, like when consumed by the elderly or people with weakened immune systems, the bacteria can cause hospitalization or death.

Hostess also voluntarily recalled more than 710,000 cases of various snack cakes and donuts in June after they were found to contain undeclared peanut residue, posing a danger to consumers with severe peanut allergies. The company learned of two allergic reactions that took place after customers ate the snacks.

A full list of recalled products is available on the FDA’s website.