Ice Cream Recalled Due to Health Risk

Even more ice cream is being pulled from store shelves. Just days after General Mills recalled certain Häagen-Dazs ice creams due to chemical contamination in a recall that only affected consumers in Australia, an ice cream recall has hit consumers in the United States. On Wednesday, July 13, a recall was issued for Big Olaf ice cream due to possible listeria contamination.

The recall, issued by Big Olaf Creamery amid an ongoing outbreak investigation, includes all flavors, lots, codes, and all expiration dates through 6/30/2022 of Big Olaf brand ice cream sold in plastic pint size containers, plastic half-gallon containers, and plastic 2.5-gallon tubs, scoopable are sold to the independent retail stores, according to a recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Despite the recall encompassing so many products, it is currently relatively limited in scale, as the products were only sold at Big Olaf retailers in Florida as well as to consumers in restaurants and senior homes, and one location in Fredericksburg, Ohio.

The Sarasota, Florida-based company issued the recall after the FDA identified Big Olaf ice cream products as "a potential source of illness in an ongoing Listeria monocytogenes outbreak." According to the release, the company "immediately ceased production and distribution of the ice cream product" on Friday, July 1 after the Big Olaf Creamer was informed of an outbreak investigation by the Florida Department of Health and Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. As of the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update on July 8, a total of 23 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes from 10 states. Of those infected, 18 people interviewed reported eating ice cream, with 10 of those saying they either ate Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream or ate at locations that might have been supplied by Big Olaf Creamery. At this time, the investigation is ongoing "and other ice cream brands not related to Big Olaf were mentioned as a possible source as well."

Amid the ongoing investigation, Big Olaf Creamer "has ceased production and distribution of the ice cream product and is currently working with FDA by voluntarily recalling the product." The FDA notice added that the company "is cooperating fully with regulatory authorities to successfully return all suspected products and has requested retailers to stop sales and dispose of product." Consumers who purchased the recalled Big Olaf ice cream products are asked not to consume them. The recalled products should instead be immediately disposed of, and "any areas, containers, and serving utensils that may have touched the ice cream should be cleaned."

Caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, listeria is a serious infection typically caused by consuming contaminated food. The bacterium typically affects young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women, and others with weakened immune systems. It can cause high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In some cases, it can be fatal. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.