A popular tomato sauce has been recalled due to a concerning health risk.
First and Last Bakery, LLC, based in Connecticut, is recalling three of its tomato sauce products, according to a Monday press release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The recall was issued after the sauces “were manufactured without an approved schedule or otherwise evaluated to determine if the process is adequate,” which can result in the formation of Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium responsible for Botulism, a “potentially fatal form of food poisoning.”
The three products being recalled are: First and Last Original Marinara Sauce, Tomato & Basil, First and Last Original Traditional Pasta Sauce, Meat Flavored, and First and Last Original Puttanesca Sauce, Mildly Hot & Spicy.
Sauces, packaged in 26 FL OZ jars, were distributed in Connecticut and Massachusetts in Big Y and Stop & Shop retail stores starting on September 22, 2025. They bear the Use By Dates of September 2026.
The sale and production of these sauces “have been suspended to ensure full compliance with all regulatory requirements,” according to the FDA.
While there have been no illnesses reported to date due to the sauce, customers have been urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Products that are not “appropriately processed, acidified, or low-acid canned foods” can harbor Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism.
Botulism can result in symptoms like weakness, dizziness, double-vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing.
“Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention,” the FDA notes.
The sauce recall comes after Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, California, recalled 245,000 pounds of linguine, fettuccine, penne, and other pastas sold to large producers of heat-and-eat meals and pasta salads, including Walmart and Target.
Tests showed that the pasta contained the same strain of Listeria found in an outbreak that has killed four people and sickened 20 since August 2024.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed earlier this month that the listeria outbreak linked to precooked pasta meals has claimed two more lives and caused seven additional illnesses, bringing the total death toll to six and those sickened to 27 across 18 U.S. states.
The latest fatalities were reported in Hawaii and Oregon, adding to previous deaths in Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and Utah.
