Contaminated Cookie Dough Leads to More Ice Cream Recalls
More ice cream recalls have been ordered over Listeria concerns, although this time, the culprit is an ingredient supplier. We told you earlier this week about Nestle’s recall of some of its popular Drumstick brand ice cream cones, but that seems to be just the beginning. On Monday, for example, Brenham, Texas-based Blue Bell Ice Cream issued yet another voluntary recall for a number of products because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The culprit this time, however, seems to be a cookie dough ingredient supplied by third-party supplier Aspen Hills, Inc.
The Blue Bell recall includes the following products;
- Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Blue Bell Cookie Two Step. These products were sold in half gallons and pints. to retail outlets
- Three-gallon packages of Blue Bell Blue Monster, Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Blue Bell Krazy Kookie Dough, which were sold to food service accounts
All of these products were produced between Feb. 2, 2016 and Sept. 7, 2016 and they were sold in 16 states, including Texas.  Though there have been no reported illnesses as yet, Blue Bell initiated the recall when supplier Aspen Hill reported problems with lots of cookie dough and issued a recall of their own. Blue Bell noted that the products passed their “test and hold” program, which requires that finished product samples from a batch test negative. This program was initiated as part of an agreement with the state of Texas after previous recalls led to health concerns.
The problems with Aspen Hill cookie dough also led an Iowa-based ice cream manufacturer, The Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co. Inc., to issue a voluntary recall yesterday for some products, as well, including the following 3-gallon Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream containers:
- Cookie Dough, marked: 12/29/17, 12/19/17, 12/13/17, 12/9/17, 12/6/17 11/26/17 and 11/15/17.
- Heaps of Love, marked: 12/29/17, 11/24/17 and 11/8/17.
- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, marked: 12/1/17 and 11/18/17.
- Sticks and Stones, marked: 12/27/17, 12/2/17 and 11/10/17.
- Yippee Skippee, marked: 12/1/17.
The recall also includes Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream pints of Cookie Dough flavor, marked: 12/13/17, 12/9/17 and 11/26/17, as well as Baked Bear brand 3-gallon containers of Cookie Dough flavor, marked: 11/26/17 and 11/15/17.
Like Blue Bell, Chocolate Shoppe said no illnesses have been linked to its products and none of the cookie dough it began recalling this week has tested positive for Listeria.
There was a third voluntary recall issued this week related to Aspen Hills cookie dough, as Wells Enterprises, Inc. is recalling two lots of Blue Bunny Hoppin’ Holidoodle ice cream sold at retail outlets, because of snickerdoodle cookie dough pieces that Aspen Hills has recalled. Wells also says that no reports of illness have been linked to their products yet.
Only Hoppin’ Holidoodle ice cream in a 46 fluid ounce size with UPC Codes of 070640014644 or 070640014651, with Lot numbers of 60001 MM 19115 6228 or 60001 MM 19115 6229 and Best if Used By dates of 02/13/18 or 02/14/18 are affected. The recalled product is a seasonal holiday flavor that enjoyed very limited distribution in six states, but one of those states was Texas.
The Listeria monocytogenes organism has the potential to cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in those who are infected, especially young children, frail or elderly people and those with compromised immune systems. Pregnant women should be especially careful because of its potential to cause miscarriages and stillbirths and because they can pass it on to their newborns, for whom it is often fatal.
Consumers who have any of these products should not eat them, but instead, they should throw them away or return them to the store where they purchased them for a full refund.
If you or a loved one become ill after consuming this or any other food product, see a doctor immediately. And if the doctor diagnoses you with a Listeria infection or any other foodborne illness, please contact the highly skilled Food Poisoning Injury Lawyer atthe Hill Law Firm, so that we can look into the situation and help you protect your rights under the law.