CHECK YOUR FREEZER: MORE THAN 60 ICE CREAM PRODUCTS RECALLED OVER LISTERIA CONCERNS

• More than 60 ice cream products from 13 different brands are being recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.
• The recall was issued by Totally Cool, Inc., a Maryland-based manufacturer, and affects products from brands including Jeni's, Friendly's, and ChipWich.
• No illnesses have been reported in connection to the recall, but consumers who may have any of the ice cream products at home are urged throw them away or return for a refund.

Certain pints of ice cream, ice cream cakes, ice cream cones, and more are being recalled due to possible Listeria contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said in a safety alert issued Monday.

The recall, which affects 68 ice cream products from 13 different brands, was issued by Totally Cool, Inc., a Maryland-based food manufacturer. Some of the more notable impacted brands include Jeni's, Friendly's, and ChipWich. Pints of ice cream, sorbet, and gelato are all potentially contaminated, as are ice cream cakes, cones, and sandwiches. A full list of the recalled products is available on the FDA's website.

The food company stopped production and distribution of the impacted products after FDA sampling detected the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. The ice cream products were distributed nationwide, and were available via retail and direct delivery.

No illnesses have been reported in connection to the recall and the company is continuing its investigation into the incident. No other products produced by Totally Cool, Inc. have been impacted by the recall.

According to the FDA notice, consumers who may have any of the recalled products at home should not eat or serve them and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Additionally, customers who have questions are invited to contact Totally Cool, Inc. at 410-363- 7801 and [email protected], between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Tiime, Monday through Friday.

What Is Listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes can cause an infection called listeriosis. About 1,600 people contract listeriosis each year, and approximately 260 die.

The condition can lead to a range of symptoms, from diarrhea and mild flu-like symptoms to more severe complications, such as seizures, stiff neck, and even death.

People who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, have a weakened immune system, or are 65 or older are most likely to develop more severe symptoms. 

If you’re “a normally healthy individual, the risk of a severe outcome with listeria is very low,” Thomas Russo, MD, a professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Health. But “there is no guarantee that you won’t develop severe disease.”

Of all foodborne bacterial illnesses, “listeria is the one with the highest rate of severe disease,” Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Health.

It can take a week or more to develop symptoms after you've been infected with listeria, Russo said. If you have eaten one of the recalled products and go on to develop symptoms of an infection, he recommends contacting a healthcare provider. 

Adalja agrees. “Infection with this bacteria merits prompt medical evaluation,” he said.

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2024-06-26T20:16:13Z dg43tfdfdgfd