Tomato sauce products recalled because of risk on botulism poisoning

First and Last Bakery LLC of Hartford, CT, is recalling three tomato sauce products because of a possible health risk identified by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

The recalled products are in 20-ounce jars and have best by dates of Sept. 26. The company’s recall notice did not specify what year the products expire.

The sauces subject to the recall are:

First and Last Original Marinara Sauce, Tomato & Basil

First and Last Original Traditional Pasta Sauce, Meat Flavored

First and Last Original Puttanesca Sauce, Mildly Hot & Spicy

To view labels of all three recalled products, click here.

The products were distributed in Connecticut and Massachusetts through Big Y and Stop & Shop retail stores on Sept. 22, 2025.

Sales and production of the sauce have been suspended to ensure full compliance with all regulatory requirements.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The products were manufactured without an approved scheduled process or otherwise evaluated to determine if the process is adequate. Failure to appropriately process acidified or low-acid canned foods can result in Clostridium botulinum toxin formation.

About botulism poisoning
While a variety of illnesses can result from eating under-processed food, one of the most dangerous is botulism poisoning. Untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, resulting in sudden death.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalledproductsand developed signs of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention. 

In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms can begin as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later.

The symptoms of botulism may include some of all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism poisoning may not show all of these symptoms at once.

If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area.

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