One of America’s most beloved and popular ice cream brands has recalled items that pose a safety risk to certain customers.
The Food and Drug Administration posted the company’s announcement last Friday, alerting customers to the recall. An employee of the brand noticed that one flavor of ice cream was being packaged into containers for another flavor, and the difference could be significant for those with certain food allergies or relevant conditions.
The FDA announced that Blue Bell will be recalling the half-gallon offering of its Moo-llennium Crunch Ice Cream, as it’s packed into Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cartons. The error originated at the company’s Brenham, Texas plant.
Why Is The Product Being Recalled?
The danger for customers lies in the unabled almond, walnut and pecan included in the ice cream. Since the cookie dough flavor doesn’t contain those ingredients, a person with a nut allergy could eat the Moo-llennium Crunch and face a “serious or life-threatening allergic reaction.”
The recalled items come in a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough half gallon carton with a Moo-llennium Crunch lid, and the product code for the item is 061027524.
Blue Bell’s website says Moo-llennium Crunch comes with “a combination of dark chocolate chunks, creamy caramel chunks, roasted pecans, chopped almonds and walnut pieces.” Comparatively, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor contains “”chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough and chips of dark chocolate.”
Blue Bell and the FDA say that the ice cream was distributed in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
A list of specific stores to stock the item has yet to be identified.
No illnesses or deaths have been reported as a result of the mispackaged items, according to the FDA. The organization is still urging those who have purchased the ice cream to act with caution, and for those who experience medical changes after eating it to consult a health professional.
Purchasers can return the item to the store they bought it from for a refund, as is common with many other food-based recalls.
A Long-Standing Name in Ice Cream
Blue Bell began in the early 1900s as a creamery. Excess cream was brought in from local farmers, aiding in the production of butter by the creamery. The creamery began producing and selling ice cream in 1911, and eventually phased out the butter business to focus solely on ice cream.
Since the late 1950s, Blue Bell has been extremely popular throughout Texas and other Southern states. The company has expanded to serve customers nationwide, but still has roots and devoted fans throughout Texas and much of the South.
The family-owned brand still operates out of the original creamery site in Texas, and serves ice cream in over 20 states.
