DOZENS of ice cream products have been recalled over fears they are contaminated with listeria.
The bacteria can cause serious infections, triggering a fever, aches, pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
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In rare cases, the illness, known as listeriosis, can be severe and result in meningitis – inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.
Around 260 people die from listeriosis every year in the US.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that around 70 ice cream products from 13 different brands could be affected.
These were distributed nationally and were available in shops and via direct delivery.
No illnesses have so far been reported, but customers should not eat them, officials said.
Instead, they should dispose of them safely or return them to their nearest store for a full refund.
The manufacturer, Totally Cool Inc, has ceased production and distribution of these items.
A spokesperson for the FDA said: “Totally Cool Inc, of Owings Mills, Maryland, is recalling multiple brands of ice cream products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
“Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
“Product can be identified by comparing the date and plant information on the product.
“The company continues its investigation and is taking preventive actions.
“No other products produced by Totally Cool Inc are impacted by this recall.”
The full list of recalled products includes:
Friendly’s
- 60 fl oz Celebration Ice Cream Cake
- 40 fl oz Strawberry Krunch Ice Cream Cake
The affected products have ‘best before‘ dates between May 20, 2024 and May 28, 2025, and codes 24-65, 24-0065, 2465, 240065.
Hershey’s
- 38 fl oz Vanilla and Chocolate Flavoured Ice Cream Cake
- 110 fl oz Vanilla and Chocolate Flavoured Ice Cream Cake
- 4 fl oz Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cones
- 4 fl oz Cookies & Cream Polar Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches
The affected cakes have product codes between 2305140 and 2405170, cones between 3174 and 4047, and 2307187 to 2406163 for sandwiches.
Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery
- Vanilla & Chocolate 30 fl oz 6′ Ice Cream Cake
- Vanilla & Chocolate 60 fl oz 8′ Ice Cream Cake
- ‘For Love of Chocolate’ Ice Cream Cake
- ‘Cookies & Cream’ Ice Cream Cake
- ‘Cookie Dough’ Ice Cream Cake
The affected products have ‘best before’ dates between May 20, 2024 and May 28, 2025.
Chipwich
- 4 fl oz The Original Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich 3 pack
- 4 fl oz The Original Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich 24 pack
- 10 Club Pack, 3 Pack, 24 Pack 16 fl oz Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Pint
- 16 fl oz Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Pint
Potentially-contaminated sandwiches from the brand have a ‘best before’ date between February 23, 2025 to December 21, 2025, while it is July 25, 2024 to January 27, 2025 for pints.
The plant code for all products is 24-65, 24-0065.
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Yelloh!
- 4 fl oz Vanilla Nut Ice Cream Sundae Cones
- 4 fl oz Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cones
- 4 fl oz Pecan Praline Ice Cream Sundae Cones
- 4 fl oz Chip & Mint Ice Cream Sundae Cones
- 4 fl oz Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 4 fl oz Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
The warning applies to cones with codes between 6T3227 and 6T4157 and sandwiches with codes 6T3115 to 6T4171.
LaSalle
- 16 fl oz Vanilla Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Vanilla Mango Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Vanilla Raspberry Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Dulce De Leche Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Butter Pecan Ice Cream Pints
Products with a ‘best before’ date between November 24, 2024 to October 10, 2025 – and the plant code 24-65 – should not be eaten.
Dolcezza Gelato
- 16 fl oz Mascarpone & Berries Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Peanut Butter Mash and Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Dulce de Leche & Cookies Ice Cream Pints, 16 fl oz Stracciatella Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Peanut Stracciatella Ice Cream Pints, 16 fl oz Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Coffee & Cookies Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Hot Cocoa Ice Cream Pints, 16 fl oz Sugar Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Dark Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Pint
The affected products have ‘best before’ dates between May 20, 2024 to May 20, 2025 – with the plant code 24-65.
Taharka
- 16 fl oz Honey Graham Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Pints
The alert applies to products with a ‘best before’ date of October 1, 2025 and the plant code 24-65.
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AMAFruits
- 3 gallon Acai Sorbet Tubs
- 3 gallon Dragon Fruit Sorbet Tubs
Products with the following ‘best before’ dates could be unsafe to eat: March 28, 2024; March 29, 2024; March 30, 2024; May 1, 2025; May 2, 2025, May 3, 2025; May 4, 2025; June 1, 2025; June 24, 2025; June 28, 2025; June 29, 2025; June 30, 2025; July 28, 2025; August 28, 2025; August 31, 2025; September 5, 2025.
The affected codes are: 2311324; 2311325; 2311326; 2311331; 2311332; 2311333; 2311334; 2401031; 2401032; 2401033; 2401036; 2401037; 2401038; 2401039; 2401040; 2402043; 2402044; 2402057; 2402058; 402059; 2403085; 2403086; 2403087; 2403088; 2404120; 2404121; 2405142; 2406158; 2406159.
Marco
- 3.8 fl oz Dulce De Leche Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 3.8 fl oz Vanilla Chai Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 16 fl oz Dulce De Leche & Cookies Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Turkish Mocha Ice Cream Pints, 16 fl oz Vanilla Chai Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Spicy Peanut Butter Caramel and Peanut Butter Caramel Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Moroccan Honey Nut Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Green Tea White Chocolate Ice Cream Pints
- 16 fl oz Aztec Chocolate Ice Cream Pints
The affected sandwiches have the ‘best before’ date November 28, 2025, while for pints, it is between June 7, 2024 to December 11, 2025.
Product codes for both are 2312341 to 2406163, with the plant code 2465.
The Frozen Farmer
- 4 fl oz Elf On the Shelf Santa’s Cookies Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 16 fl oz Elf On the Shelf Santa’s Cookies
- 16 fl oz Strawberry Sorbet Pints
- 16 fl oz Raspberry Sorbet Pints
- 16 fl oz Orange Cream Frobert Pints
- 16 fl oz Watermelon Sorbet Pints
The affected sandwiches have ‘best before’ dates between September 4, 2025 and July 12, 2025, but it’s September 5, 2025 to July 30, 2026 for pints. Both have the plant code 24-65.
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Cumberland Farms
- 4 fl oz Premium Ice Cream Sandwich Rich Vanilla
- 4 fl oz Premium Ice Cream Sandwich Marvelous Mint
The warning applies to products with a ‘best before’ date of November 30, 2024 and April 12, 2025.
Jeni’s
- 3.5 fl oz Chocolate Silk Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 3.5 fl oz Key Lime Pie Frozen Dessert
- 3.5 fl oz Mint Chocolate Truffle Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 3.5 fl oz Triple Berry Tart Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches
The affected products have ‘best before’ dates between July 24, 2025 and May 23, 2026, with codes 23205 to 24144.
What is listeria?
LISTERIA is a type of bacteria that can contaminate many foods.
It can cause listeriosis – a rare infection from consuming affected foods.
This usually goes away on its own, but it can make some people seriously ill.
Symptoms include a high temperature, aches, pains, chills, vomiting, feeling sick, and diarrhoea.
If you’re pregnant, you may also have a stomach ache or notice your baby moving less than usual, and babies with listeriosis may be irritable and feed less than usual.
In rare cases, the infection can result in meningitis – inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.
This kills up to half of all people affected if left untreated, Doctors Without Borders says.
Listeriosis is more serious for older people, anyone who is pregnant, newborn babies, people with weakened immune systems (such as those with cancer, diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease), and people having treatment which weakens their immune system (like chemotherapy or steroids).
You can reduce your risk by:
- Keeping chilled, ready-to-eat foods cold (set your fridge to below 5C)
- Eating ready-to-eat foods within four hours of taking them out of the fridge
- Eating, cooking or freezing foods by their use-by date
- Following storage instructions on food labels and use opened food within two days (unless otherwise specified)
- Keeping raw and ready-to-eat foods separate
- Following cooking instructions on packaging
- Cooking and reheating foods until they are steaming hot all the way through
- Washing your hands regularly with soap and water
The foods most likely to cause listeriosis include:
- Cold, cooked, sliced meats and cured meats
- Smoked and cured fish, including sushi
- Cooked shellfish
- Soft mould-ripened cheese (such as camembert and brie) and blue-veined cheeses
- Pâté
- Pre-prepared sandwiches and salads
- Pre-cut fruit
- Unpasteurised milk
- Dairy products made from unpasteurised milk
While uncommon, listeriosis alone illness kills one in five patients globally, according to the World Health Organization.
Source: NHS
Listeria is far less common than salmonella and E. coli, but it can be much more dangerous.
Most healthy immune systems can keep an infection at bay, but if the bug makes it into the bloodstream, it sparks listeriosis, which kills one in five patients worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Some people are more vulnerable, including those who are pregnant, over-65s, newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems.
They are at increased risk of falling seriously ill, miscarriage, stillbirth, sepsis, and meningitis, the NHS warns.
