Nationwide Ice Cream Recall: Brands & Products List

If you’ve stocked your freezer with ice cream lately, you’ll want to double-check the labels. A major ice cream recall is making headlines. 

Over 70 frozen treats – from brands like Hershey’s and Friendly’s – are being pulled from shelves all across America. 

The concern is a potential Listeria contamination that’s prompted an urgent FDA recall alert from the company involved, Totally Cool Inc.

Together, let’s break down what you need to know about this nationwide product recall, who it affects, and why it matters.

Listeria Concerns Prompt Massive Ice Cream Recall Across U.S.

Totally Cool Inc., an ice cream manufacturer based in Maryland, has voluntarily recalled more than 70 products after concerns emerged about a possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. 

This bacterium can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially for those with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and children. 

While no illnesses have been reported as of yet, the FDA recall alert was issued as a proactive measure to ensure public safety. 

The recall includes both branded and private-label products sold nationwide, ranging from well-known names like Friendly’s and Hershey’s to specialty items distributed to food service locations.

Affected Ice Cream Brands and Products

The recall spans a wide variety of ice cream types – pints, sandwiches, cups, and even 3-gallon tubs meant for cafeterias and restaurants. The affected ice cream brands include:

• Hershey’s Ice Cream

• Friendly’s

• The Frozen Farmer

• Yelloh!

• Cumberland Farms

• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (select varieties)

• And many more

For a complete list of the recalled products, the FDA has published the full rundown here. You can search for “Totally Cool.”

While these items are being recalled due to concerns over Listeria, this is not to be confused with another FDA recall alert this month involving a separate issue: Wells Enterprises recalled 22 flavors of frozen desserts due to the presence of foreign plastic. 

That situation, while unrelated, also highlights how vulnerable frozen goods can be to manufacturing mishaps.

Why Listeria Contamination Is So Serious

Listeria contamination isn’t something to brush off. The bacterium can survive freezing temperatures and thrive in cold storage environments, making ice cream a very good host. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection include high fever, severe headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. In pregnant women, it can cause miscarriages or stillbirths.

Because of its severity, the FDA categorizes this recall as a Class I – the highest level – meaning the product could cause serious health consequences or death.

How This Differs from the Plastic Recall

Earlier this month, Wells Enterprises (the folks behind Blue Bunny and other brands) announced a separate nationwide product recall of over 20 ice cream and frozen yogurt varieties due to the possible presence of hard plastic. 

That recall, while concerning, was classified as Class II by the FDA, indicating a lower level of risk, primarily due to the chance of choking or dental injury. 

Plastic contamination often comes from broken equipment or faulty packaging. Even small cracks in the manufacturing line can lead to serious issues.

What Should You Do?

First things first: check your freezer. If you have any of the affected products, don’t eat them. You can return them to the store where you bought them or follow the instructions on the FDA’s recall notice for proper disposal.

Retailers and distributors have been asked to remove all affected products from their stores. So, if you’re grabbing a cone anytime soon, you might see a few empty spots in the freezer aisle.

Stay Safe and Stay Informed

As ice cream lovers, we never want to hear that our favorite treat could make us sick. But, thanks to quick action from Totally Cool Inc. and the FDA, this ice cream recall is being handled with urgency and care.

Whether it’s Listeria contamination or foreign material, food safety recalls serve an important purpose: keeping consumers protected. Still, the next time you scoop into your favorite flavor, take a quick glance at the label – you’ll enjoy it even more knowing it’s safe. For now, though, we can stay cool (and cautious) until this ice cream recall melts away for good.