Due to concerns that the desserts may have been contaminated with the potentially lethal food poisoning bug listeria, a line of ice cream cakes has been recalled.
Last week, Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery Ice Cream Cakes in four flavors were taken off the shelves.
Customer Warning
Customers in 25 states were told to either throw the cakes away or bring them back to the store for a refund.
Wegmans, a supermarket chain with 110 locations in eight states, issued its own warning about the recall.
Presence in Chains
However, the brand is also sold in Whole Foods, Market Basket, Hannaford, Weis, Roche Bros., Big Y, Dave’s, Giant, and Safeway stores nationwide.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria is the third most common food-borne illness-related cause of death in the United States.
Listeria Symptoms
Listeria organisms are bacteria that can contaminate food and cause consumers to get an illness called listeriosis.
Stomach upset, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and muscle aches are some of the symptoms.
Bacteria Spreading
The bacteria spreads from the patient’s intestines into their bloodstream when the infection becomes invasive.
Patients who are vulnerable, such as pregnant women and their unborn children, the elderly, and those whose immune systems are weakened, are especially at risk. Most contaminations are treated with antibiotics.
Recalled Items
There have been no illnesses linked to Abilyn’s recall that have been reported.
The impacted items were set apart with a best-by date between April 20, 2024, to April 20, 2025.
Flavors Impacted
Abilyn’s Ice Cream Cake in flavors Vanilla & Chocolate, For the Love of Chocolate, Cookies ‘n Cream, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough are among the affected flavors.
As per Abilyn’s site, the items are sold in various stores across the U.S.
States at Risk
States where the impacted ice cream cakes are sold include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin.
Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery said in a statement that it was “devastated” and “heartbroken” by the recall.
Company Statement
“We are so sorry to cause any alarm or concern to you, our loyal customers,” according to Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery.
They went on to say: “Please know that none of our product, that we know of, has ever tested positive for any contaminants. We are devastated that this has happened. We are praying that our small family business will be able to weather this storm and thank you all for your continued support.”
Discovery of Contamination
The following was the company’s explanation of how the possible contamination was discovered: “We are heartbroken to have to write this notification […] We were informed on the evening of 6/21/24, by our production partner, that recent testing by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has detected the presence of possible contamination on the production line that has been used to produce our Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery ice cream cakes.”
Their statement continued: “There currently is no indication that our ice cream cakes have been contaminated, but out of an abundance of caution, we have recalled all flavors of ice cream cake with a Best By date between 4/20/24 and 4/20/25.”
Recall Issue
Recalls are given when there are worries that a food item might be unsafe somehow or another, for example, while testing uncovers that items are tainted with possibly destructive microorganisms.
They can also be issued when there are fears that food varieties could be sullied with a foreign item from the assembly line.
Consumer Rights
Shoppers have different options when a product they’ve bought is hit by a review, and food companies normally offer full refunds.
Stores will be made aware of the recall by the company involved in order to facilitate refunds for customers.
Companies will often have special insurance to help in covering their costs in the case of a recall but a small family business like Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery will be hit harder than others.
