Ice Cream Sold in 23 States Under Contamination Recall

The dessert was recalled on June 27 and the FDA subsequently slapped a Class 2 risk level threat on the ice cream on July 17.

Juliette Fairley

Published: 7/21/2025, 11:21:34 AM EDT

Ice Cream Sold in 23 States Under Contamination Recall — A glass of ice cream. (Sebastian Coman Photography/Pexels.com)

A recall involving 10 popular ice cream flavors intensified when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an enforcement report.

Concerns about Listeria monocytogenes led the Rich Ice Cream Co. of West Palm Beach, Florida to issue a voluntary recall in 23 states, according to an FDA advisory.

Listeria monocytogenes is a disease-causing bacterium that can be found in many places, including soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation, and animals, according to the FDA website.

The dessert was recalled on June 27 and the FDA subsequently slapped a Class 2 risk level threat on the ice cream on July 17.

“The gap reflects the time needed for the FDA to review company data, assess risk, and assign a classification,” Northeastern University professor, food safety expert, and Alliance for Recall Ready Communities adviser Darin Detwiler told NTD.

A total of 110,292 cases each of Chocolate Crunch Cake Bar, Strawberry Shortcake Bar, Rich Bar, Crumbled Cookie Bar, Orange Cream Bar, Fudge Frenzy Bar, Cotton Candy Twirl Bar, Savagely Sour Blue Raspberry Bar, Savagely Sour Cherry Bar, and Cool Watermelon Bar are under recall.

"Usually, a food manufacturer will do a huge recall that encompasses a contaminated batch and any other batch before or after it—to ensure that everything contaminated has been included," food and water safety attorney Jory Lange told NTD.

The ice cream was distributed in 3 fluid ounce packages in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Iowa, South Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and internationally in Nassau, Bahamas.

Company leaders did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

The FDA advisory shows that lot numbers of the recalled product ranged from 24351 to 25156.

The FDA website describes a Class 2 event as the use of or exposure to a violative product but where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote, while a Class 1 designation is the FDA’s highest risk alert and is described on the FDA website as having a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Detwiler added that a Class 3 recall involves products that violate regulations but are unlikely to cause health problems, such as minor labeling errors.

"Listeria can be found in many places, especially soil," Lange added. "Listeria is a very hardy bacterium and can survive in the coldest places, including freezers, and refrigerators, and can live without oxygen."