Blue Bell Creameries, L.P., is recalling a limited amount of their Moo-llennium Crunch Ice Cream packaged in their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough carton due to undeclared almonds, walnuts and pecans.
Newsweek reached out to the company via email Friday for comment.
Why It Matters
Numerous recalls have been initiated this year due to the potential for damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens.
Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine “major” food allergens in the U.S. are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, Crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts.
People with an allergy to almond, pecan or walnut “run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products,” the FDA warns.
What To Know
In the alert, the FDA says the Moo-llennium Crunch Ice Cream being recalled is packaged in the half-gallon size.
“The recalled product was mistakenly packaged in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream cartons with a Moo-llennium Crunch lid,” the alert notes. The recalled product also has the code number of 061027524 on the lid.
The recall was initiated voluntarily, the alert says. The goods were also produced at the company’s plant in Brenham, Texas.
The products were distributed to retail stores in the following states: Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida (Panhandle), (Northwest) Georgia, (Southern) Indiana, (Southern) Illinois and (Southwest) Virginia.
Below is a map highlighting the warning in the states:
What People Are Saying
The FDA alert, in part: “A Blue Bell employee discovered the incorrect packaging on two half gallons while restocking a retailer. No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported to date. No other incorrect packaging has been discovered or reported to date.”
In an email to Newsweek in January, the FDA said: “Most recalls in the U.S. are carried out voluntarily by the product manufacturer and when a company issues a public warning, typically via news release, to inform the public of a voluntary product recall; the FDA shares that release on our website as a public service.
“The FDA’s role during a voluntary, firm-initiated, recall is to review the recall strategy, evaluate the health hazard presented by the product, monitor the recall, and as appropriate alert the public and other companies in the supply chain about the recall.
“The FDA provides public access to information on recalls by posting a listing of recalls according to their classification in the FDA Enforcement Report, including the specific action taken by the recalling company. The FDA Enforcement Report is designed to provide a public listing of products in the marketplace that are being recalled.”
Additional information on recalls can be found via the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts.
What Happens Next
People who have purchased the recalled product are urged to return it to the original place of purchase for a full refund, the FDA says.
People with additional questions may contact Blue Bell Creameries, L.P., via phone at979-836-7977 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST weekdays or via email at consumerrelations@bluebell.com.
