Listeria Cases Spur Recall of ‘Soft Serve On the Go’ Ice Cream

FRIDAY, Aug. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday recalled a brand of soft-serve ice cream after linking it to Listeria cases in Pennsylvania and New York. The product, Soft Serve On The Go ice cream cups, was distributed in several states, the recall said, and two people have been hospitalized for their illness.

The outbreak involves Listeria monocytogenes infections potentially linked to the ice cream cups, which are produced by Real Kosher Ice Cream of Brooklyn, New York.

Both patients reported eating the vanilla chocolate ice cream before they became ill. An unopened sample from the home of one of the people who became ill was positive for L. monocytogenes. Genetic analysis is still necessary to determine if the strain found is the one implicated in this outbreak.

Real Kosher Ice Cream has temporarily stopped production of these products and is cooperating with the investigation, the FDA said. Voluntarily recalled flavors are vanilla chocolate, razzle, caramel, parve vanilla chocolate, strawberry mango, and peanut butter. Other products may be added.

The ice cream was distributed in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant people and newborns, adults 65 years or older, and people with weakened immune systems. While other people can be infected, they rarely become seriously ill. Pregnant people typically experience fever, fatigue, and muscle aches, but infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection of the newborn, the FDA said.

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