“Big Olaf is cooperating fully with regulatory authorities to successfully return all suspected products and has requested retailers to stop sales and dispose of product,” the company said. “Consumers who have purchased Big Olaf Ice Cream Products should not consume these products and dispose of them immediately. Any areas, containers, and serving utensils that may have touched the ice cream should be cleaned.”
The company said there was a potential the products could be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, which could cause serious and deadly infections in people with weakened immune systems, including in young children and frail or elderly people.
Listeria infection can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, the company noted. In most healthy individuals, the infection causes short-term symptoms, such as high fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
“Based on epidemiological information shared by the CDC and State Officials, Big Olaf may be a potential source of illness in an ongoing Listeria monocytogenes outbreak,” the company announcement reads.
The company announced it was “informed of an outbreak”by Florida health authorities on July 1, after which it “immediately ceased production and distribution of the ice cream product.”
“As of Friday, July 8th, 2022, the CDC reported that a total of 23 people were infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes from 10 states,” the company added.
“Eighteen people interviewed reported eating ice cream, 10 reported eating Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream or eating at locations that might have been supplied by Big Olaf Creamery. This is an ongoing investigation and other ice cream brands not related to Big Olaf were mentioned as a possible source as well.”
