According to ABC, federal health officials knew about the Listeria monocytogenes contamination in Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream a week before the recall was issued to the public. The FDA was notified on Aprl 15, 2015, but the recall was not issued until April 23, 2015.
Ice cream and Listeria monocytogenes has been in the news ever since a deadly Listeria outbreak was linked to Blue Bell ice cream. Ten people have been sickened in that outbreak, and three people have died. Government officials have discovered that people were sickened by this ice cream as far back as 2010.
Ice cream is not a food normally associated with food poisoning outbreaks, but all ready-to-eat foods that are not cooked by the customer (known as a “kill step”) are vulnerable. Deli meats and cheeses, raw milk, and undercooked meat, eggs, and poultry are the foods most people think of when they hear about food poisoning.
Jeni’s is destroying more than half a million pounds of ice cream. No one should be eating any of Jeni’s products at this time, since the bacteria can be pervasive in a facility and is very difficult to destroy. The company is working with scientists and labs to find the source of the bacteria and to clean the facility. Listeria was found in Jeni’s production kitchens, according to a statement by the company.
The symptoms of a Listeria infection include fever, muscle stiffness, neck stiffness, headache, nausea, and diarrhea. Some people experience symptoms similar to the flu. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to this bacteria, and can suffer stillbirth and miscarriage. If you ate Jeni’s cream or Blue Bell ice cream and have experienced these symptoms, see your doctor.
