Over 110,000 cases of popular ice cream affected by recall
Thousands of popular ice cream bars are being recalled due to contamination concerns.
Rich Ice Cream Co. is recalling more than 110,292 cases of its various ice cream bars, according to a report shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 17. The recall was issued because the products may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a disease-causing bacteria.
The Rich Ice Cream products affected by the recall include Chocolate Crunch Cake Bars, Strawberry Shortcake Bars, Rich Bars, Crumbled Cookie Bars, Orange Cream Bars, Fudge Frenzy Bars, Cotton Candy Twirl Bars, Savagely Sour Blue Raspberry Bars, Savagely Sour Cherry Bars, and Cool Watermelon Bars. Potentially contaminated packages contain lot number 24351 through lot number 25156.
Affected ice cream bars were sold in 23 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. They were also sold in a popular foreign summer vacation spot: Nassau, Bahamas.
The recall has also been classified as Class II, which is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences,” according to the FDA. Consumers are urged not to eat these ice cream bars and throw them away immediately.
As noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria is a “bacteria that can contaminate many foods,” with infections caused by eating food with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Although symptoms can vary, a listeria infection “can cause invasive illness and intestinal illness.”
Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, killing roughly 260 people per year.
The ice cream bars aren’t the first frozen treat to be recalled in the U.S. this summer. Last month, 6,668 cases of Breyers Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream were voluntarily recalled by Unilever Manufacturing, after it was found that the tubs actually contained Rocky Road ice cream.
The Chocolate Truffle flavor has an allergen label that reads “may contain tree nuts,” while the Rocky Road flavor declares almonds as one of the ingredients. The cause for the recall was “undeclared allergens and mislabeled product.”
In May, Wells Dairy issued a recall on more than 17,000 tubs of 22 different types of ice cream and frozen yogurt treats, citing the possible “presence of plastic” in these products.
Other food products have also been recalled due to a listeria risk. On July 17, Reser’s Fine Foods recalled over a dozen tuna salad products due to potential contamination with listeria.
Albertsons, Randalls, and Tom Thumb stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas all voluntarily recalled the tuna salad items. Jewel-Osco stores in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa also recalled the tuna products sold in its stores.
FDA officials urged anyone who bought the select tuna products “to use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.”
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