Jeni's Ice Creams Provides Recall Update, Destroys Half a Million Pounds of Ice Cream

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, an Ohio-based ice cream purveyor that has recently expanded its operations to scoop shops in Chicago and Los Angeles, has provided an update to the product recall that has forced it to shut its stores and cease production indefinitely.

Last week, Jeni's initiated a voluntary recall of all of its products due to "possible health risks" from the presence of Listeria bacteria in a random sample from a pint of their ice cream. Today, Jeni's posted an update on the recall on their website. In the update, they state that they are destroy half a million pounds of ice cream:

We are destroying more than 535,000 pounds (265 tons) of ice cream. That is 15 semi-truck loads or more than 300 pallets. We estimate that this recall will cost the company more than $2.5 million. The vast majority of the ice cream, if not all, will be taken to an anaerobic digester that will convert the dairy into electricity and a clean, natural soil fertilizer.

They further reiterate that their ice cream is still not safe for public consumption:

We have since tested a number of pints and buckets. While all of our buckets and the vast majority of pints tested negative, Listeria was found in a pint of The Buckeye State ice cream (5-082-265), and Listeria might be present in other flavors as well. So let me be unmistakably clear: no one should be eating any of Jeni’s frozen products.

Jeni's further detailed the human cost of the recall, and how they are attempting to maintain partial pay for employees:

Team Jeni’s is made up of about 575 people. We have taken steps to provide partial pay for team members who are missing work as a result of the temporary closure: 25% for employees in our scoop shops, most of whom are part-time, and 50% for our kitchen employees, almost all of whom are full-time. We are maintaining health benefits.

Jeni's recall came just days after Blue Bell Ice Cream issued a recall of its frozen products after numerous illnesses and three deaths were traced to Listeria-contaminated ice cream produced by Blue Bell.