Lidl Recalls Advent Calendars Over Salmonella Concerns

Lidl has voluntarily recalled its advent calendars because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The problem was discovered during routine testing by Lidl, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

Salmonella are bacteria that can make people sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Infected people may experience symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever and may even recover without specific treatments. However, the infection could become serious in some people and they would require hospitalization.

Those who are more likely to get an infection and develop a severe illness include infants, children under five years old, senior citizens, people with weakened immune systems and those who are taking certain medicines.

Salmonella bacteria are estimated to cause 1.35 million infections, thousands of hospitalizations and more than 400 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC.

"Lidl US takes the health and safety of its customers as its top priority," the company noted.

There are no reports of illnesses related to the recall product so far.

The recall affects Favorina Advent Calendar (Premium Chocolate with a Creamy Filling) with the barcode number 4056489516965 and "Best if Used By" year of 2023. They were sold at Lidl stores from Oct. 12 to Dec. 5.

A sample photo of the product's packaging was available on the FDA website.

People who purchased the product can return it to a Lidl store even "without a receipt" to get a full refund. Lidl has already removed the products from its stores.

Those with questions about the recall can contact Lidl at (844)-747-5435.

"Lidl US regrets any inconvenience related to this voluntary recall, which is issued in keeping with our focus on customer health and safety," the company said. "We are grateful for all our Lidl US customers who choose to shop with us every day."