The Brooklyn Ice Cream House Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened at least two people, according to the FDA. Both patients, who live in Pennsylvania and New York, have been hospitalized. The Ice Cream House storefront, located in Brooklyn, New York, has recalled all of their branded products sold at the Brooklyn location as well as at retail supermarkets located in New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. The recalled items include all dairy and non-dairy products that carry the Ice Cream house logo. They include ice cream, cakes, pies, ice cream logs, and novelty items such as trio log sorbet, Hello Kitty Cake, Heaven Layer Vanilla, Tropical Flute, De'Lightning Frozen Dessert, and others. Real Kosher Ice Cream has also recalled all flavors of their Soft Serve on the Go 8 ounce ice … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak – Where Was Soft Serve on the Go Made?
A Listeria outbreak linked to Soft Serve on the Go ice cream has sickened at least two people, both of whom were hospitalized. The recalled ice cream cups were distributed to 19 states, Washington DC, and some international locations. But just where the products were made has been a mystery, until now. Real Kosher Ice Cream of Brooklyn issued a recall for the ice cream cups on August 9 and halted distribution of the products. A statement on the company’s website, says “Serve on the Go Cups are manufactured at their own dedicated facility.” But neither the recall nor the website statement indicates where that facility is located. It turns out, the mystery facility is located just blocks from Real Kosher Ice Cream. Soft Serve on the Go ice cream was made at Ice Cream House, LLC, located … [Read more...]
Confusion Over Enoki Mushroom Recall Due to So Much Listeria
The FDA's announcement this week that it had identified the source of an enoki mushroom Listeria outbreak was a breakthrough in an investigation that has seemed dormant for months. But it was also something of a headscratcher. On January 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that enoki mushrooms imported from China and distributed in the U.S. by Utopia Foods, Inc. of Glendale, NY were the source of the outbreak. The significant development in the investigation was a long time coming. It was the first outbreak update the agency has issued since late November 2022. But the weird thing was Utopia enoki mushrooms were recalled for Listeria last month. The recall, issued on December 13, 2022, stated that the problem was discovered during routine sampling conducted in … [Read more...]
What FDA Isn’t Saying About an Enoki Mushroom Listeria Recall
When a recent Listeria recall set off some alarm bells at Food Poisoning Bulletin a couple of weeks ago, we asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) how banned enoki mushrooms made their way to store shelves. The answer, it seems, is that the agency is still trying to work that out. A Problematic Recall The FDA doesn't like to use the term "banned," they told us. But a ban is the net effect when the FDA issues a countrywide import alert for a food product. This action means that the agency has gathered enough evidence to show that the product is in violation of FDA laws and regulations and can be detained at the border without physical inspection. In the case of enoki mushrooms from Korea, the evidence includes a 2020 Listeria outbreak in the U.S. that killed four people … [Read more...]
Did Banned Enoki Mushrooms Make Their Way to Store Shelves?
On November 17, Green Day Produce of Vernon, CA issued a Listeria recall for enoki mushrooms imported from Korea. But why were they on store shelves in the first place? Due to widespread problems with Listeria contamination in enoki mushrooms from Korea, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a countrywide import alert for them four months ago. This action essentially bans the import of all enoki mushrooms from the Republic of Korea. Companies seeking an exemption can submit documentation that the product has been tested and is pathogen-free, but even this does not guarantee that the product will be admitted to the U.S., according to the FDA website's information about import alerts. Firms that meet the criteria for exemption from an import alert are added to a "green … [Read more...]
What Do Inspection Reports for Big Olaf Creamery Reveal?
Last week, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) revealed that Listeria had been found in 10 environmental swabs and samples from 16 different flavors of ice cream at Big Olaf Creamery's production plant in Sarasota, FL. The samples were collected after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on July 2 that epidemiological evidence identified the ice cream as the source of a Listeria outbreak that has sickened 23 people over an 18-month period. One of the patients died and another suffered a miscarriage. Presented with that information, Big Olaf declined to issue a recall. Then a spokesperson for the company issued a statement that deemed the epidemiological information "speculative" and wondered why the company was being unfairly … [Read more...]
Big Olaf Who? Amid Outbreak Shops Ditch Ice Cream, Branding
For Big Olaf, the break-ups came quickly but not all at once. And not all of them quietly. In the two and half weeks since Big Olaf ice cream was linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak, licensed shops throughout Florida started switching to new suppliers. One owner has permanently changed the names of the two stores she operates. Although Listeria isn't as common as other foodborne pathogens. It is the most deadly. And it targets pregnant women, who can suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth if they develop an infection. "Five of the patients in this outbreak are women who contracted listeriosis while they were pregnant," said Eric Hageman, a Listeria lawyer, and Food Poisoning Bulletin Publisher. Hageman has extensive experience with Listeria lawsuits including one filed on behalf of a … [Read more...]
Listeria Frozen Vegetable Recall at Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Meijer
Frozen vegetables under recall after being linked to a Listeria outbreak were sold at Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Meijer and other stores, according to information posted on company websites. The frozen vegetables were produced by CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington. On May 2, the company issued a recall for 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands since 2014. The brand names include Organic by Nature, True Goodness by Meijer, Bybee's, Columbia River Organics, Northwest Growers Select, C.H. Belt's, Chef Maxwell, Correct Choice, Earth's Pride, Endico, Farmer's Bounty, Fiesta Mart, The Inn, Live Smart, Parade, O Organics, Panda Express, Pantry Essentials, Safeway Kitchens, Signature Kitchens, Trader Joe's, USDA, VIP, Wellsley Farms, JFDA, McCain, Mity Fresh, … [Read more...]
Salad Recalled for Listeria Leaves Ohio Woman in Coma, Lawsuit Alleges
A lawsuit has been filed against Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. on behalf of an Ohio woman who is in a coma stemming from a Listeria infection she developed after eating a prepackaged salad that she purchased from a grocery store. Prepackaged salads produced at Dole's plant in Springfield, Ohio and sold under Dole and other brand names have been linked to an ongoing Listeria outbreak that has sickened 18 people, one of whom has died, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Al 18 people included in the outbreak have been hospitalized. "While, Listeria is the most virulent foodborne pathogens, this outbreak may be particularly frightening. So far, it has a 100% hospitalization rate," said Eric Hageman, a Minnesota food poisoning lawyer with … [Read more...]
Some Who Ate Recalled Dole Salads Still Watching for Listeria Symptoms
Listeria has such a long incubation period that some people who ate Dole salads recalled in January still have a month to watch themselves for symptoms of an infection. Dole recalled the salads after it was linked salads produced at Dole's facility in Springfield, Ohio and sold under a variety of brand names was discovered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak has sickened 18 people; one person has died. The recalled salads were sold under the following names: Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, and President’s Choice. The manufacturing code found underneath the “enjoy by” date of potentially affected salads begins with the letter “A.” They were sold at Giant, Kroger, ALDI, Price Chopper, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Schnucks, … [Read more...]
