Working Cow Homemade Ice Cream, Inc. of St. Petersburg, FL is conducting a voluntary recall of No Sugar Added Vanilla and No Sugar Added Chocolate ice cream manufactured in three-gallon tubs during the month of May 2018. The recall is being conducted due to a potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Working Cow customers include ice cream parlors, independent living facilities and restaurants throughout the state of Florida. The no sugar added ice cream is packaged in plastic yellow three-gallon tubs marked with a label including product name and “born-on” date. The born-on date refers to the manufacturing date. Working Cow is working with 152 retail customers to recall the potentially affected products.

This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) following notification of a recent consumer case in Florida which has been linked to a strain of Listeria monocytogenes found to be present at the Working Cow manufacturing facility during environmental sampling in 2017. Although subsequent environmental sampling has yet to yield positive test results, investigations are ongoing to ensure root cause has been properly addressed. No other illnesses have been reported.