RECALL: Blue Bell ice cream

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

The weather may be cooling off... but it is still warm enough for Floridians to enjoy a cold, sweet treat.
But if your sweet treat of choice happens to be tubs of ice cream, you may want to check your brands and flavors before diving into the frozen dessert.
According to a press release issued by the Blue Bell Ice Cream Company on Tuesday, Oct. 8, select lots of half-gallon tubs of the company's ice cream are being recalled after a consumer discovered a foreign object in a tub of ice cream.
A consumer got a little more than they paid for when they opened the lid and found parts of a plastic tool mixed into the half-gallon tub of Blue Bell Butter Crunch ice cream.
Blue Bell states in their recall notice that the ice cream had been produced in late August in a Sylacauga, Ala. plant.
From the Alabama plant, the impacted lot of ice cream was shipped out to grocery stores in Florida, Georgia and Alabama as well as Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
“The company investigation revealed the broken tool was inadvertently incorporated into the production process in a small amount of product. In an abundance of caution, the company is recalling a full day of production of this flavor from this manufacturing facility,” wrote Blue Bell in their recall notice.
The only variety of Blue Bell ice cream that is involved in this recall is the company's half-gallon tubs of Butter Crunch ice cream.
The recalled ice cream tubs can be identified by a code that can be located on the top of the packaging lid: 082621222.
While all the stores that carried the recalled ice cream tubs have been notified of the recall, Blue Bell is concerned that some consumers may have already purchased the recalled ice cream and currently have it in their freezers.
Any consumer who have recently purchased Butter Crunch Blue Bell Ice Cream are advised to return the tubs to the original place of purchase for a full refund.
There have been no reports of injuries pertaining to the foreign item found within the ice cream.

RECALL: Johnson's talc baby powder

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

For over 120 years, the name Johnson’s & Johnson’s meant parents were purchasing the safest skin care, bathing and diapering products for their infant.
However, a company recall that was released by the Johnson's & Johnson's company and then released on the Food and Drug Association (FDA)'s website on Friday, Oct. 18 shook the over-a-century faith that parents had placed in the 133-years-old pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods company.
“Johnson's has committed to putting the needs and well-being of the people we serve first, that's why, out of an abundance of caution, we've initiated a voluntary recall,” wrote Johnson's & Johnson's on their infant-product website.
According to the recall report released by the FDA, Johnson's & Johnson's has recalled a single lot of their baby powder that had been released into stores around the United States. The recalled bottles of talc baby powder can be identified by their lot number: #22318RB.
The recall had been initiated after a test conducted by the FDA revealed that there were sub-trace levels of chrysotile asbestos contamination that were located in samples taken from various bottles of baby powder.
After being informed by the FDA that their product containing asbestos, Johnson's & Johnson's initiated rigorous testing and an investigation into the matter.
However, at this stage of the recall, Johnson's & Johnson's advises that they cannot confirm if the FDA test was a false positive, whether the sample was taken from a bottle with an intact seal or whether the sample was prepared in a controlled environment or whether the tested product is authentic or counterfeit.
Johnson's & Johnson's states that they have a “rigorous testing standard in place to ensure its cosmetic talc is safe and years of testing.”
They also cite that previous testing done by the FDA had turned up no asbestos contamination in their product, so they will continue to research the matter.
“Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos. Our talc comes from ore sources confirmed to meet our stringent specifications that exceed industry standards,” writes Johnson's & Johnson's.
During this period of recall, Johnson's & Johnson's advises that any consumers who have recently purchased bottles of their talc baby powder should stop using the product. Those interested in receiving a refund for the recalled Lot #22318RB of baby powder can do so by contacting the Johnson's & Johnson's Consumer Care Center at johnsonsbaby.com or by calling 1 (866) 565-2229.

RECALL: Great Value turkey and pork patties

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

On Friday, Oct. 18, a Tennessee food packaging establishment that is responsible for the preparation and producing of Great Value meat products, announced that they were recalling over 6,000 pounds of ready-to-eat pork sausage patties and turkey sausage patties that was sold under the Great Value name.
According to the report published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the meat was suspected to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The report states that the contamination was discovered when George's Prepared Foods, a food preparation establishment located in Caryville, Tenn., notified the FSIS that they had accidentally shipped out the contaminated product from their cold-storage facility.
As of the report's release date, there had been no reported illnesses caused by the contaminated meat.
The ready-to-eat pork and turkey sausage patty items were produced this year on April 19, April 27, May 7 and May 9.
The following products are subject to recall:
• 24.92-oz. packages containing “Great Value Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Patties” with a use-by date of 10/16/19 and lot code 1091971894.
• 24.92-oz. packages containing “Great Value Fully Cooked Original Breakfast Turkey Patties” with a use-by date of 10/24/19 and lot code 1171971897.
• 35.6-oz. packages containing “Family Size Great Value Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Patties” with a use-by date of 11/03/19 and lot code 1271972894 or a secondary use-by date of 11/05/19 and lot code 1291972894.
All three sets of recalled products subject will bear an establishment number of “EST. M2206T or P-2260T”, which will be printed on the package.
The recalled products were shipped to Walmart retail locations around the United States, including Florida.
The FSIS states that while retailers have been alerted to the product's recall and have removed the product from the shelves of their stores, they are concerned that consumers might have already purchased the product before the recall could go into effect.
Packages of the contaminated meat may be stored in consumer's fridges, and so consumers who have recently purchased Great Value frozen pork or turkey sausage are asked to check their meat packages for the above listed lot codes, best-by dates and establishment numbers. If your package matches the recalled meat's information, please return your product to the original place of purchase for a full refund.
According to the FSIS, consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, which is one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and a fever that begins within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness.