You'll know the company's name...and you'll want to know the reason that led authorities to flag the issue on this "top 10" flavor.
The frozen nature of ice cream might tend to create a sense of safety that the presence or growth of bacteria or other microbes would be unlikely. Unfortunately, a breaking recall puts the chill on this premise.
In a September 12 report, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) updated a recall for bulk batches of “Hershey’s Ice Cream, Green Mint Chip” due to possible bacterial contamination concerns. The affected product is said to have been distributed in seven states: Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, and Ohio.
Interestingly, even Pennsylvania locals may be surprised to learn that Hershey’s Ice Cream, which is made by Hershey Creamery Co., is separate from the Hershey Company that makes chocolate. Hershey Creamery Co. is headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, roughly a 25-minute drive away from the Hershey headquarters in Hershey, PA, and notes the lack of affiliation at the bottom of its website.
Still, the ice cream brand is well loved. The affected ice cream is a “Top 10” flavor, according to a bulk sales brochure produced by the company, and was reportedly distributed in three-gallon cardboard tubs that were lined with metal rings and topped with cardboard lids. The packaging description suggests the product may have been available in settings such as ice cream shops—and the “Partner” side of the company’s website explains that their ice cream “is served in several major industries across the United States,” listing ice cream parlors, dining & food service, healthcare, and retail as some of their partners.
It’s said the recalled products bear identifying details including a lot number of 25223M, SKU 24682-05020, and a “Consecutive Count” of 499-6100. On a separate note, the FDA report indicates a total of 81 tubs (or “cans,” as the report calls them) were implicated in the recall.
Authorities cited “elevated coliform counts during routine testing” as the issue prompting recall. Often tied to a concern about the quality of drinking water, coliform are “bacteria that are always present in the digestive tracts of animals, including humans, and are found in their wastes,” explains the New York State Health Department. While the majority of these bacteria “do not cause disease,” the department says “some rare strains” can cause serious illness. E coli is a type of coliform.
Though the recall was first initiated on August 19, the FDA updated its notice on September 11 to declare the recall a Class II event, meaning the agency’s experts have concluded it’s “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.”
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