Popular ice cream brand Friendly’s has recalled one of its beloved flavors due to a packaging error.
Parent company DFA Dairy Brands issued a recall on 324 cartons of Friendly’s 48 fluid-ounce Cookies & Cream, according to a bulletin from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The recall was issued after it was discovered that the product was packaged in the Vanilla Bean flavor carton with a Cookies & Cream lid.
The problem arose because the cookies and cream flavor has soy and wheat.
The vanilla bean flavor does not have soy or wheat, so people with severe allergies to those ingredients ‘run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction’ if they consumed the product.
The recalled ice cream cartons have a best-by date of November 26, 2025, and were sold at stores in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
So far, no illnesses have been reported as a result of this mishap.
Customers who bought the affected cartons can return to the store they purchased it from for a full refund.
One of the biggest ice cream recalls this summer came in July when Rich’s Ice Cream pulled ore than 100,000 ice cream bars off shelves in 23 different states.
A total of 110,292 cases of frozen dessert products were initially recalled on June 27, but the recall was escalated to a Class II designation on July 17 – the second-highest risk level.
A ‘Class II’ distinction poses a risk that the ‘product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.’
The recall was initiated because of a potential listeria contamination.
The bacteria that causes listeria infections can spread through your blood into your brain and spinal cord if it goes untreated, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In that scenario, symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, diarrhea, and a stiff neck. Serious cases can involve confusion, loss of balance and seizures.
These symptoms often start within two weeks of eating tainted food. But it can take up to two months for symptoms to begin.
Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the US, killing about 260 people per year.