Garlic Powder Recall Over Bacterial Contamination Risk: Full List of Products, Lot Numbers and What Consumers Should Do
A garlic powder sold at Dollarama stores across Canada has been recalled after officials flagged a risk of contamination with Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued the recall on July 14 for Heavenly Spices Garlic Powder, classifying it as a Class 2 event, meaning there’s a moderate risk the product could cause short-term or non-life-threatening illness if consumed. As of this week, it’s the only garlic powder recall tied to bacterial contamination currently in effect.
Bacillus cereus is commonly linked to foods like meat, stews, gravies and cooked rice that have been improperly refrigerated or left at room temperature, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Infection typically causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea, with symptoms usually lasting 24 to 48 hours. Elderly people, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems generally face a higher risk of complications from foodborne bacterial illness.
The affected product and lot details
The recalled item is Heavenly Spices Garlic Powder, sold in 70-gram bottles both in stores and online across Canada. The specific identifying details are:
UPC: 6 67888 50634 7
Best-before date: 2029 JAN 30
Product code: GP 30ZV PIT
Recalling firm: Dollarama L.P.
Distribution: Nationwide across Canada
Shoppers should check any garlic powder from this brand against those exact codes, since unaffected batches of the same product can sometimes remain on shelves alongside recalled ones.
What consumers should do
The CFIA is advising anyone with the affected product not to use, sell, serve or distribute it. Dollarama has confirmed that customers who purchased the recalled garlic powder should throw it away rather than attempt to use it. Affected shoppers can contact Dollarama Customer Service directly, where a company spokesperson has said customers will be offered a $2 e-gift card as a replacement; contact information and additional details are available on Dollarama’s website under its recall notices. Consumers can also reach the CFIA directly at 1-613-773-2342 or by emailing information@inspection.gc.ca with recall questions.
A separate, unrelated garlic recall from earlier this year
It’s worth noting a different garlic product was recalled earlier this year for a different reason: in April, Tops Friendly Markets, a supermarket chain based in New York, recalled two types of fresh peeled garlic, not garlic powder, after a routine inspection found the product had been stored at unsafe temperatures, raising concern about Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for botulism. That recall is unrelated to the current Heavenly Spices situation and involved a different product, a different pathogen and a different country.
Part of a broader stretch of recent food recalls
The garlic powder recall is one of several food safety actions in recent weeks. General Mills recently recalled more than 735,000 packages of Pillsbury bread products over possible glass contamination, and produce supplier Taylor Farms has been preparing a separate recall tied to ingredients linked to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak, though the company has said its own branded salad products aren’t implicated. Health officials generally recommend checking any recalled item’s exact product code, lot number or best-before date against the official notice, since brand name alone isn’t always enough to confirm whether a specific item on your shelf is affected.
