Dozens of ice creams have been urgently pulled from US supermarket shelves over fears they may be contaminated with listeria.
Food safety agencies have placed a “do not eat” alert on more than 70 products manufactured by Totally Cool.
There are fears that treats, including Friendly’s ice cream pies, Hershey’s ice cream cones and Jeni’s sandwiches, may contain the bacteria.
This unpleasant insect, which can kill, usually causes fever, nausea and diarrhea.
So how worried should you be, who is most at risk, and what should you do if you think you’ve ingested a contaminated product?
Here MailOnline explains everything you need to know.
Totally Cool, a Maryland-based company that produces ice cream products, has recalled products through the FDA due to a possible listeria outbreak. Friendly’s was one of the company’s products affected.
Hershey’s products are among those that were distributed nationwide through retail and direct delivery and that have the potential to be infected with listeria.
What is listeriosis?
Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, or L. monocytogenes for short.
The NHS simply refers to it as “listeria bacteria”.
Many foods can harbor the virus, but it is typically found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, and ready-to-eat foods such as packaged sandwiches.
L. monocytogenes is widespread in the environment and can be found in raw foods and soil, as well as in the droppings of many mammals, birds and fish.
The infection is usually diagnosed when a laboratory test detects the bacteria in the body’s tissues or fluids, such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or placenta.
How deadly is it?
Listeria poses a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women, and infants.
In 2022, 167 cases of listeriosis were reported to national surveillance in England and Wales (Figure 1), representing a 6.4 percent increase in reported cases compared to the average of the previous five years.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 1,600 people contract listeriosis each year.
But experts have long warned that this could be an underestimate, since many healthy adults may not seek help for symptoms.
Listeriosis, the infection caused by listeria, can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and, in severe cases, death among those most at risk.
Pregnant women are at risk of miscarriage and severe sepsis, while their newborn baby may contract meningitis.
NHS officials already advise pregnant women to avoid cold-smoked salmon and cured fish products, as well as raw soft cheeses, unpasteurised dairy products and any undercooked foods.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded a ‘multi-year, multi-state’ investigation into Listeria in two other dairy products (queso fresco and queso cotija) manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods in California.
The outbreak produced 26 cases of Listeria in 11 states, resulting in 23 hospitalizations and two deaths.
What symptoms should I look out for?
For most people, listeria poisoning can be similar to the flu and include a high temperature, muscle aches or pain, chills, and feeling sick.
Symptoms usually go away after a few days.
However, some vulnerable groups (the elderly, pregnant women and infants) can develop life-threatening complications, such as sepsis and meningitis.
According to the FDA, pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get a listeria infection.
Treatment depends on the type and severity of a person’s disease.
Most listeria infections are treated with antibiotics. People with diarrhea should drink plenty of fluids.
Those who eat foods containing listeria develop an infection called listeriosis, which can cause fever, aches and pains, chills, nausea, nausea, and diarrhea.
Some Marco brand ice cream products have been recalled. Earlier this year, the FDA had concluded an investigation into two other dairy products manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods in California. The outbreak caused 29 cases and two deaths.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams said Totally Cool was a “supplier that produced Jeni’s frozen dessert sandwiches” but does not manufacture any other Jeni’s products on the premises.
What should I do if I have eaten a contaminated product?
To date, no illnesses related to the consumption of any of the products have been reported.
Consumers who have purchased any of the products are asked not to consume them.
Instead, customers must return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund or discard them.
Customers with questions or concerns about the recall can contact the Totally Cool Inc. customer service hotline.
How can you avoid listeriosis?
Food safety chiefs have long advised that you should wash your hands before, during and after handling food.
Wash utensils, cutting boards, and any surfaces that come into contact with food after each use.
You should also store ready-to-eat foods according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
According to the FDA, appliance thermometers will allow you to check that your refrigerator is at 4ºC (40ºF) or below and that your freezer is at 0ºC (0ºF) or below.
Between 4ºC and 60ºC (140ºF) is considered the danger zone, when bacteria can multiply rapidly.
Generally, the more bacteria, the more likely someone is to get sick.
Most refrigerators only have a colder or warmer temperature setting, so the only way to tell is to put a thermometer inside.
