Friendly’s, Hershey’s ice cream products among various brands recalled over bacterial contamination concerns

(CNN) — Consumers looking to cool off this summer are advised to avoid popular ice cream products from brands including Friendly’s, Hershey’s and Chipwich due to possible Listeria contamination, according to a recall announced Monday

Totally Cool, Inc recalled ice cream products from over a dozen brands distributed through retail stores and home delivery nationwide, according to a recall notice posted on the US Food and Drug Administration’s website.

The Maryland-based company halted ice cream production and distribution and recalled the products after FDA sampling revealed potential traces of Listeria monocytogenes.

There are no reports of illnesses so far, the company said.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause listeriosis, the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, while healthy people may experience short-term symptoms like high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, according to the recall notice.

The infection can manifest as a fever, muscle aches, excessive tiredness, severe headache, nausea, stomachache, or diarrhea. Symptoms typically begin within two weeks after eating contaminated food but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after, according to the CDC.

Earlier this year, the CDC investigated a deadly outbreak of Listeria linked to queso fresco and cotija cheese that led to 23 hospitalizations and two deaths.

The CDC urges individuals who believe they may have consumed products contaminated with Listeria to contact a healthcare provider.

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