Subject:

Frozen Dessert Products Recalled due to possible health risk by Listeria monocytogenes.

Products Recalled:

All dairy ice cream products and non dairy frozen dessert products due to possible health risk by Listeria monocytogens. The recalled products are manufactured by Ice Cream House.

Problem:  

• The products have been recalled on August 30^th 2023 due to a possible contamination by Listeria monocytogens, which can pose a possible health risk.
• Listeria can cause serious health issues in humans. The product recall has been initiated since the desserts were sold at Ice Cream House in Brooklyn and through retail supermarkets in New York, New Jersey and Ohio.
• A recall notice, which explains to consumers about the reason for product recall and what should be done if the product has already been consumed, was issued [1].

Scientific Evidence:  

• Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a disease-causing bacteria found in moist habitats, soil, water, decomposing vegetation, and animals, and it may survive and even thrive under refrigeration and other food preservation techniques.
• When humans consume food infected with L. monocytogenes, they can contract listeriosis. Symptoms might continue anywhere from a few days to many weeks, depending on the severity of the disease.
• Mild symptoms may include fever, muscle pains, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Symptoms of the more severe form of listeriosis include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Listeriosis can be fatal in children, elderly individuals, and the immune-compromised [2].

What Regulations Clarifies:

• The adoption of Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) and Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (PCHF) requirements for the production of Ready to Eat (RTE) foods can greatly reduce or eliminate L. monocytogenes infection.
• Raw material or other ingredient control should include a Code of Conduct (COC) for L. monocytogenes. The FDA recommends that raw materials and other ingredients be tested under the COC on a regular basis to evaluate the efficacy of the supplier’s control programmes.
• When contacting exposed RTE meals, food-contact surfaces (FCSs), and packaging materials, personnel should use appropriate utensils (such as spatulas or tongs) or wear gloves, and should not touch exposed RTE foods, FCSs, and packaging with bare hands.
• The FDA recommends that food industries establish and implement time/temperature controls to ensure that foods are not held (e.g., before, during, or after production, or during transport) at a time and temperature combination that allows a significant increase in the number of L.monocytogenes.
• The FDA recommends that the food should be transported using time/temperature controls that limit the growth of L. monocytogenes [3].