Jeni’s ice cream recalls all products for possible listeria contamination

Jeni’s sweet corn with blackberry ice cream. Photo by Bonnie Trafelet/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images

WASHINGTON — A second ice cream company has shut down production this week after health officials found listeria in a sample of its frozen treats.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams of Ohio said on its website that it recalled its frozen products. The action follows a similar action by Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries Monday. Blue Bell’s ice cream was linked to 10 listeria illnesses in four states and three deaths.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the recalls are connected. Listeria isn’t commonly found in ice cream, since the bacteria can’t grow at freezing temperatures. The FDA did not have a comment on the recall.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are no known illnesses linked to Jeni’s products. In an online statement, the company said it is recalling all ice creams, frozen yogurts, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches and closing retail stores until its products are “ensured to be 100 percent safe.”

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture found listeria in a sample of Jeni’s ice cream it had randomly collected at a Whole Foods in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“We will be working with our suppliers to determine if the bacteria was introduced by one of the ingredients we use,” said John Lowe, the company’s CEO. “We will not reopen the kitchen until we can ensure the safety of our customers.”

Jeni’s said the recalled ice cream was distributed in the United States to retail outlets, including food service and grocery stores, as well as online at jenis.com. The recall includes all products bearing the brand name “Jeni’s.”

Listeria generally only affects the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, pregnant women and their newborn infants. It can cause fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms.

The bacteria is found in soil and water that can be tracked into a facility or carried by animals. It can be very difficult to get rid of once it contaminates a processing facility, partly because it grows well in refrigeration. It is commonly found in processed meats, unpasteurized cheeses and unpasteurized milk, and it is sometimes found in other foods as well — listeria in cantaloupes was linked to 30 deaths in a 2011 outbreak.

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