The recall is applicable to Organic Super Premium Ice Cream sold in Vanilla Bean, Strawberry, Cookie Dough, Mint Chip, and Dutch Chocolate flavors in pint and quart-sized containers, and were sold beginning May 4 across 17 states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
For Vanilla Bean flavors, pint sizes with “Best By” dates of Dec. 23 and Dec. 28, and UPC code 7-84830-10030-6 were recalled.
For Strawberry flavors, quart sizes with Dec. 24 expiry and UPC code 7-84830-10097-9, and pint sizes with a “Best By” date of Dec. 25 and UPC code 7-84830-10095-5 were recalled.
Cookie Dough pint containers with an expiry date of Dec. 26 and UPC code 7-84830-10104-4, Dutch Chocolate quart containers with a Dec. 27 expiry and UPC 7-84830-10012-2, and Mint Chip pint containers with a Dec. 30 expiry and UPC 7-84830-10050-4 were also withdrawn from the market.
“Consumers who have purchased the recalled product are urged to discard the product. Consumers should not eat the recalled product, nor should they return it to the store,” the announcement said.
The Straus Family Creamery is currently working with retailers to remove the impacted products from shelves. So far, no injuries linked to the consumption of the recalled ice creams have been reported.
The company clarified that, except for flavors with the stated “Best By” dates and sizes, none of the other ice creams on the market are affected.
Straus is offering vouchers to affected customers that can be redeemed for replacement products at local retailers. Customers with queries can contact the company at 1-707-776-2887.
“Food safety and product quality remain top priorities for Straus Family Creamery. The company is taking this action out of an abundance of caution and has implemented appropriate corrective actions,” the announcement said.
The Epoch Times reached out to Straus Family Creamery for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
According to an FDA guidance, ingesting metal fragments poses the risk of injuries such as laceration of the mouth or throat, dental damage, and perforation of the intestine.
Among certain special risk groups, such as the elderly, surgery patients, and infants, foreign objects such as metal pieces that are less than 0.3 inches in length “may cause trauma or serious injury.”
Metal fragments can enter food products through damaged or broken equipment, including saw blades, wire-mesh belts, wire from mechanical mixer blades, injection needles, washers, nuts, portioning equipment, and mechanical-chopping blades.
In many food processing facilities, metal detectors are common and typically the last line of defense against foreign materials before products are packaged, according to a September 2023 study published in the National Library of Medicine.
“Metal detectors can be utilized in raw material processing and production, just before final packaging, and after final packaging. Typical metal detection systems have been developed to detect and isolate foreign metal material through automatic systems,” the study said.
However, “It is important to understand that this system cannot be viewed as a total elimination device for foreign objects; there are possibilities of contamination to get past this system.”
In an Aug. 8 post, SGS Digicomply, which focuses on helping food companies monitor regulations in over 160 markets, said that over the past three years, the company has recorded a threefold rise in foreign matter contamination, including metal, in food products globally.
According to the company, one of the most significant factors behind the trend is aging equipment, with many food production facilities using their machinery beyond its expected lifecycle.
“Another factor is workforce instability. Since the pandemic, many producers have faced chronic staff turnover and labor shortages. Temporary workers and undertrained staff may be unaware of how small maintenance lapses—like using an old cleaning brush or skipping a visual inspection—can lead to serious contamination risks,” the post said.