COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Health has issued a press release clarifying a recall of ice cream bars from Fieldbrook Foods Corporation that includes products sold at Kroger, Meijer, Giant, Giant Eagle and Aldi among other regional retail outlets.
The Department of Health notes no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue.
The products included among Fieldbrook Foods’ voluntary recall are all orange cream bars and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars that were produced in 2017 on the company’s Hoyer 1 Line at its Dunkirk, New York plant (plant code 362677). It also includes 28,751 cases of Raspberry Cream Bars that were included with Orange Cream Bars in ALDI seasonal split-case purchases. The split-cases were shipped between March and August 2017.
These products are being recalled due to the possibility that they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only shortterm symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The Hoyer 1 Line in Dunkirk, New York is the only production line and the only Fieldbrook Foods plant (of 3) involved in this recall notice.
The recalled products have a production date of Jan. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017 and a “best by” date of Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018. The Hood and Kemps products may show a “best by” date of July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
Fieldbrook Foods is working with each of these retailers to recall the affected products.
The potential for contamination was noted after routine industry testing revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in only a few ice cream bar samples of many tested. The health department noted expansion of the recall is out of precaution for consumer health and food safety after a few additional samples tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
There is no evidence of any contamination prior to Oct. 31, 2017, but the company has issued the recall back to Jan. 1, 2017 through an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA, the health department stated in a press release. The company has suspended production and distribution of all products produced on this production line while it cooperates with the FDA to fully investigate the source of the problem.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-333-0805 x2270.
