Another warning about listeria outbreak linked to Florida ice cream maker. Still no recall
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to warn consumers not to eat Big Olaf Creamery ice cream.
They are concerned that people may still buy the creamery’s products in stores or still have them in their homes because the company has yet to issue a recall despite being linked to a listeria outbreak.
The health agency released another statement on its website and shared a reminder on Twitter telling people to “throw it away” on Friday.
Also telling consumers, if they are in Florida and don’t know if the ice cream being sold is a Big Olaf Creamery brand, ask the store before you buy or eat it.
Last week, they linked the company’s product to a deadly listeria outbreak that has left one person dead, 23 people ill, and hospitalized 22 others, but the company still has not issued a recall.
The outbreak has impacted people across 10 states and has led to two lawsuits filed against the Sarasota-based ice cream company.
One lawsuit was filed by the family of a woman who died, and another from a woman who claims she lost her pregnancy after eating ice cream at Big Olaf.
“Why a company that knows it is under scrutiny for a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak would ignore the science and put customers at risk is really beyond comprehension. It is immoral and likely criminal,” said the attorney, Bill Marler. “It makes no sense why the County of Sarasota and the State of Florida have not closed these businesses for a thorough cleaning and recalled all potentially tainted product,” added Marler.
Listeria is more likely to cause severe illness among the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. It can also cause common food poisoning symptoms, like diarrhea and fever.
People who experience these symptoms usually recover without treatment, the CDC said.
An investigation into the outbreak is still active.
This story was originally published July 9, 2022 at 11:10 AM.
