Ice Cream Bars and Frozen Treats Recalled in 23 States Due to Listeria

Depending on where you live, an innocent ice cream truck could hide a potential threat. Rich’s Ice Cream Co., based in West Palm Beach, Florida, recalled 110,292 cases of ice cream bars on June 27.

The frozen treats may be contaminated with listeria, a potentially lethal foodborne pathogen. Rich’s sells its products to schools and ice cream trucks across the country, so this recall is particularly dangerous for school-age kids.

When Rich’s first recalled the contaminated ice cream bars, the company sent a note to its distributors but not to the public, according to a Food Safety News report. Nearly three weeks later, on July 17, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall as Class II, or “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” per the FDA’s website. 

This classification brought the recall to light and caused a wave of media coverage. Here’s what you need to know to keep your family safe.

What You Need To Know

Take care when ordering treats from an ice cream truck this summer. Listeria bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

The following frozen products may contain traces of listeria:

• Chocolate Crunch Cake Bar
• Cool Watermelon Bar
• Cotton Candy Twirl Bar
• Crumbled Cookie Bar
• Fudge Frenzy Bar
• Orange Cream Bar
• Rich Bar
• Savagely Sour BlueRaspberry Bar
• Savagely Sour Cherry Bar
• Strawberry Shortcake Bar

The ice cream bars were all individually packaged in plastic wrappers. There’s not much parents can do right now, except err on the side of caution when purchasing from ice cream trucks.

The distributors of Rich’s ice cream bars sold the frozen treats to schools and ice cream truck vendors in the following states:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

If you think you or your child has eaten one of the contaminated ice cream treats, monitor for symptoms. Listeria can cause fever and flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue, according to the CDC.

Other common symptoms are headache, stiff neck, confusion, and loss of balance. If you experience any of the above, contact your healthcare provider to confirm a diagnosis.