A huge bowl of ice cream to cool off on a hot summer day may not be wise. One company's chilled
dessert is suspected of causing a number of serious illnesses, prompting the CDC's Food Safety Alert.
According to the advisory, Big Olaf Creamery ice cream in Florida has caused 23 illnesses, 22 hospitalizations,
and one death due to listeria. The Sarasota creamery recalled its products as the Florida Department of Health investigates.
Florida grocery stores, Big Olaf Creamery locations, and other parlors and companies sell the ice cream under numerous brands. If you are in
Florida during the recall, the CDC advises you to ask if the ice cream was bought from Big Olaf before eating or buying it.
According to the CDC, 12 people have fallen sick in Florida, 10 of whom traveled there a month prior. New York and Massachusetts identified
two more diseases, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, and Colorado one each. Four illnesses occurred in April, one in May
Since listeria thrives at freezing temperatures, anyone with ice cream at home should throw it away immediately.
According to the Mayo Clinic, pregnant women are especially at risk from listeria-contaminated items. Bacterial infections can induce miscarriages and stillbirths.