2022 Outbreak of Listeria Infections Linked to Ice Cream

Illustration with a triangle and exclamation mark and text reading Food Safety Alert

Posted November 2, 2022

This outbreak is over. Stay up to date on food recalls and outbreaks to avoid getting sick from eating contaminated food.

Fast Facts
  • Illnesses: 28
  • Hospitalizations: 27
  • Deaths: 1
  • States: 11
  • Recall: Yes
  • Investigation status: Closed
Recalled Food
  • The recalled ice cream was sold or served at Big Olaf retailers, restaurants, and senior homes in Florida, and in one location in Fredericksburg, Ohio.
  • All flavors, lots, and expiration dates through 6/30/2022 of Big Olaf brand ice cream products have been recalled.
  • Big Olaf brand ice cream was sold to consumers in plastic pint-size containers and plastic half gallon containers. The ice cream was sold to independent retail stores in plastic 2.5-gallon scoopable tubs.
What You Should Do

Check your freezer for recalled ice cream. If you have any left:

  • Do not eat the recalled products. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them.
  • Follow these five steps to clean any areas, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled products. Listeria can survive in the freezer and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
  • Call your healthcare provider right away if you have these symptoms after eating recalled products.
    • If you are pregnant: Fever and muscle aches. Your illness may be mild, but Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.
    • If you are not pregnant: Headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.

Stay Healthy and Prevent Listeria

  • Find out if you are at higher risk for getting sick with Listeria.
  • Learn which foods are more likely to contain Listeria, and take steps to prevent getting sick.
  • Stay up to date on food recalls and outbreaks to avoid getting sick from eating contaminated food.
What Businesses Should Do
  • Do not serve or sell recalled products.
  • Follow USDA-FSIS guidance to prevent the spread and growth of Listeria.