A Florida business is recalling its ice cream amid an investigation into a listeria outbreak that has been blamed for the death of one person and the hospitalization of two dozen, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday.
The company, Big Olaf Creamery, a family-owned business in Sarasota, Fla., recalled all flavors of its ice cream with expiration dates until June 30, “because it has the potential to be contaminated” with Listeria bacteria, the FDA said. Told. Listeria causes a disease that can be fatal, especially in children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, and an infection can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant women.
The FDA said in a statement that Big Olaf Creamery ceased production and distribution of its ice cream on July 1, after the Florida Department of Health told the company it was investigating an outbreak involving its products.
The ice cream is made by Amish artisans at a creamery in Pinecraft, a neighborhood of Sarasota. The FDA said the products were sold at retailers, restaurants and senior homes in Florida and at an undisclosed location in Fredericksburg, Ohio.
“Big Olaf is cooperating fully with regulatory authorities to successfully return all suspicious products and requests retailers to stop selling and dispose of the product,” the agency said in a statement. The FDA said its investigation is ongoing and that other ice cream brands may also be causing the infection.
Big Olaf Creamery did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday evening.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the company was tied to listeria outbreaks in 10 states. The CDC said 10 of those hospitalized lived out of state and had traveled to Florida last month.
According to the CDC, infected people live in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
The agency said the infection had occurred in the past six months and that 92 people under the age of one year were affected. The CDC said five became ill during pregnancy, one of whom experienced fetal loss.
According to the agency’s website, as of July 8, 23 people had been infected with the listeria outbreak. About 1,600 people in the United States contract listeriosis each year from contaminated food.
The CDC said the infection can cause flu-like symptoms including fever, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea, which usually begin about two weeks after consuming food containing the bacteria, although the onset can vary. The Food and Drug Administration said it can take months for severe cases to develop.
According to the CDC, which kills one in five people with listeriosis, infection during pregnancy is particularly dangerous, causing fetal loss in about 20 percent of cases.
The FDA said previous outbreaks have been linked to undercooked poultry, raw vegetables, and unpasteurized milk and ice cream.
(This story has not been edited by seemayo staff and is published from a rss feed)