Food tasting, tasting life: Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for Listeria

A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan. 5 with less than 400 cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands, totaling close to 29,000 cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country.

No illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the ice cream products. However finished samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested positive since then, spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp. to broaden its recall.

Listeria monocytogenes can survive extended periods of freezing temperatures and can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections. The entire 2017 production year of certain Fieldbrook products — some that have best-by dates 18 months away — is now under recall.

Officials are concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the recalled ice cream treats in their freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Do not eat the recalled products.

“There is no evidence of any contamination prior to Oct. 31, 2017, but the company has issued the recall back to Jan. 1, 2017, through an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration),” according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website.

“The company has suspended production and distribution of all products produced on this production line while it cooperates with the FDA to fully investigate the source of the problem.”

The “Hoyer 1 Line” in Dunkirk, NY, is the only production line and the only one of Fieldbrook Foods three plants. The recalled orange cream bars, raspberry cream bars, and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars were sold at the following merchants under the indicated brands in the chart below.

The recalled products have production dates of Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2017, and a “best by” date of Jan. 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2018. The Hood and Kemps products may show “best by” dates of July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.

Advice to consumers
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products in the past 70 days and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should immediately seek medical attention.

Similarly, because it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms to develop, anyone who has recently eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves in the coming days and weeks for symptoms.

Listeria monocytogenes is a microscopic organism that cannot be seen or smelled when it contaminates food. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, according to the recall notice.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

To view photographs of products provided to the FDA, please click on the recall notice links below this chart.

RECALLED PRODUCTS

Merchant	Brand	Merchant	Brand
Acme	Lucerne	Safeway (DC/DE/FL/MD/VA)	Lucerne
ALDI	Sundae Shoppe	Save-A-Lot	World’s Fair
Amigo (Puerto Rico Only)	Great Value	Shaws	Lucerne
Bi Lo	Southern Home	Shoprite	Polar Express
BJ’s	Wellsley Farms	Shoprite	Shoprite
Demoulas	Market Basket	Smart & Final	First Street
Dillon	Kroger	Smiths	Kroger
Dollar Tree	Party Treat	Star	Lucerne
Econo (Puerto Rico Only)	Econo	Stater	Stater
Food 4 Less	Kroger	Stop N Shop	Ahold symbol
Fred Meyer	Kroger	Tops	Tops
Frys	Kroger	Various	Food Club
Giant	Ahold symbol	Various	Stoneridge
Giant Eagle	Giant Eagle	Various	Hagan
Harveys	Southern Home	Various	Greens
Jewel	Lucerne	Various	Hood
King Soopers	Kroger	Various	Kemps
Kroger	Kroger	Various	Stoneridge
Meijer	Purple Cow	Walmart (Puerto Rico Only)	Great Value
Price Chopper	PIC	Weis	Weis
Price Rite	Price Rite	Winn Dixie	Winn Dixie
Ralphs	Kroger