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...]
ShopRite Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 18 in 4 States
The ShopRite ground beef Salmonella outbreak is over after sickening at least 18 people in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of two more patients since the last update on July 26, 2023. The report states that most of the patients reported eating 80% lean ground beef before they got sick. Traceback did not identify a common source for the meat, although most people bought the ground beef at ShopRite stores in the northeastern United States. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New Jersey (11), and New York (5). The patient age range is from 0 to 97 years. Illness onset dates ranged from April 27, 2023 through July 6, 2023. Seven people were hospitalized because they were so ill. Ground … [Read more...]
Listeria in Remembrance Farm Raw Milk Prompts Recall
Listeria in Remembrance Farm raw milk in Tompkins County, New York has prompted a recall, according to the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. That farm is located at 6294 Searsburg Road in Trumansburg. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this unpasteurized milk. The recall notice did not state the sizes of containers, or the dates that the milk was sold. A sample of the milk that was collected by an inspector from the Department was found to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result on August 11, 2023. Further lab testing, that was completed on August 15, 2023, confirmed the presence of the pathogen in the raw milk sample. The farm is now prohibited from selling … [Read more...]
New York Officials Find Listeria in Cups From Real Kosher Facility
New York officials find Listeria in cups From Real Kosher Ice Cream's manufacturing facility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Investigators from the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets visited the manufacturing location and collected the cups. The outbreak strain was found in five finished product samples of the Vanilla Chocolate variety, confirmed by whole genome sequencing. On August 10, 2023, the CDC said that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture found the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes in an unopened Soft Serve on the Go Vanilla Chocolate ice cream cup that a patient had in their freezer. That means that the products are linked to this outbreak by epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data. The outbreak case … [Read more...]
Soft Serve on the Go is Not the First Ice Cream Listeria Outbreak
Soft Serve on the Go is not the first Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to ice cream. There are four other outbreaks linked to that type of product within the last nine years. And some of them have been deadly. While ice cream is considered "low risk" for causing Listeria infections, illnesses have happened, and the outcomes can be serious. Ice cream is uniquely susceptible to Listeria contamination for two reasons. One, there is no kill step before the consumer eats it - the product is ready to eat. That's why there is zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes contamination in ready to eat foods. Second, Listeria monocytogenes colonizes easily in moist and cool locations, typical of most ice cream factories. And ice cream is often served in nursing homes, hospitals, and care … [Read more...]
Soft Serve on the Go Linked to Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak
Soft Serve on the Go ice cream cups are linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened two people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ice cream cups and sorbet have been recalled by the company, Real Kosher Ice Cream. The patients live in Pennsylvania and New York. Patient isolates were collect in May and June 2023. Both people were hospitalized. The median age is 77, and one person is female and the other male. One patient bought Soft Serve on the Go ice cream cups from a grocery store. The other likely ate the same ice cream cup at a long term care facility. Investigators are using the PulseNet system to try to find others who may be part of this outbreak. Whole genome sequencing conducted on the patient isolates showed that … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak May Be Linked to Soft Serve on the Go Cups
A Listeria outbreak that may be linked to Soft Serve on the Go Cups produced by Real Kosher Ice Cream has sickened at least two people. The patients live in Pennsylvania and New York. The outbreak was announced in an FDA recall notice, and the FDA just posted an outbreak investigation notice. We don't know much about this outbreak, such as the patient ages or illness onset dates. The last patient sample collection date was June 29, 2023. We do know that six of the company's products have been recalled, and that the Pennsylvania Department of Health found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of one of the ice cream products. Whole genome sequencing is being conducted to find out if this pathogen is the same strain of Listeria causing illnesses. The patient in Pennsylvania … [Read more...]
Soft Serve on the Go Cups Recalled For Possible Listeria; 2 Sick
Soft Serve on the Go Cups by Real Kosher Ice Cream are being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Two people are sick; one person in New York and one in Pennsylvania. Both of these patients were hospitalized. The recalling firm is Real Kosher Ice Cream of Brooklyn, New York. The recalled soft serve ice cream and sorbet cups were sold at the retail level in these states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and in Washington DC. The ice cream was sold in canteens, convenience stores, and grocery stores. The recalled products are all Soft Serve on the Go brand packaged in clear … [Read more...]
Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 16 in Four States
A ground beef Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 16 people in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of those sickened bought the ground beef from ShopRite stores in the northeastern United States. Six people have been hospitalized because they are so ill. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New Jersey (9), and New York (5). Illness onset dates range from April 27, 2023 through June 16, 2023. The patient age range is from 0 to 97 years. Nineteen percent of the patients are under the age of five. Public health officials are interviewing people about what they ate before they got sick. Of the 14 people interviewed, nine, or 64%, said they ate ground beef. All nine purchased the ground beef from … [Read more...]
Cricket Creek Farm Cheese Listeria Recall Expanded; One Illness
The Cricket Creek Farm Cheese Listeria recall has been expanded to include a new type of cheese. One illness from a person who has been hospitalized has been reported in connection with the consumption of these products. The new recall is for one lot of Berkshire Bloom cheese because it was inadequately pasteurized. Berkshire Bloom cheese, with a product label of 076, is a camembert style, bloomy rind cheese. The circular cheese measures 4 inches in diameter and about 1.25 inches tall. It’s sold in a white cheese paper wrapper with blue label. This batch of cheese was distributed between April 20, 2023 and May 12, 2023. The other two recalled cheeses are Sophelise and Tobasi. Sophelise cheese, with the product code 087055, is a washed, pasteurized milk cheese with a soft rind and … [Read more...]
