Hundreds of Ice Cream and Coffee Products Hit By Two Recalls

Summer has just started, but two major recalls have already impacted the food industry, resulting in over 250 ice cream and coffee SKUs being pulled from shelves.

Ice Cream Co-Packer Recalls Products Due to Listeria

Yesterday, ice cream co-packer Totally Cool, Inc. recalled all ice cream products made at its Maryland facility after FDA sampling detected the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Companies affected by the recall include Marco, Jeni’s, Dolcezza Gelato, Cumberland Farms, ChipWich, Hershey’s, and Friendly’s, among others.

Details about the origin of the listeria are still undisclosed, and it is unclear if the company has identified the source. Unlike other recalls I've covered, which often involve products from a specific line or ingredient, this recall affects various formats (pints, cones, sandwiches, and cakes) with few shared ingredients.

It also appears that timing may be a concern. According to the filing, many of the impacted products have a best-by date ranging from May 2024 to December 2025. Ice cream has a long shelf life, so a product with a May 2024 date code was likely produced in 2023. The FDA inspected Totally Cool in May 2023, so it's reasonable to assume the company is potentially just pulling all products made soon after that date.

The impact on individual brands remains to be seen. Taharka ice cream shared on social media that it was only working with Totally Cool on one run of its Honey Graham and Key Lime pints. Potentially other brands had a similar relationship, with Dolcezza recently posting to Instagram “7 days a week. everything made in house from scratch…hand packed. hand made. old school.”

For Jeni’s, the recall includes only the company’s ice cream sandwiches, which were launched last November and comprise a small part of its product portfolio. A statement from Jeni’s says the ice cream sandwiches were recalled out of “an abundance of caution” and “as requested by Totally Cool.” No listeria has been found in Jeni’s Frozen Dessert Sandwiches or on the equipment used to produce them.

Marco, however, has all its pints and sandwiches listed on the recall notice. The company has been teasing the upcoming launch of the sandwiches for several weeks. An Instagram post a few days ago noted, “We’re getting very very excited for our [sandwich] launch, wbu?”

RTD Coffee Producer Pulls Products Due to Potential Botulism Presence

Over 250 ready-to-drink coffee SKUS have been recalled due to the potential presence of botulinum toxin. The beverages, produced by co-packer Snapchill, were sold under various brands, including George Howell, Intelligentsia, and Metric Coffee. The FDA published a notice late last week.

No illnesses have been reported to date, and Snapchill is unaware of any instances in which its products contained botulinum toxin. However, the FDA notes that Snapchill’s low-acid canning process “could lead to the growth and production of the deadly [botulinum toxin].” The potential issue arose when the FDA notified the company that it had never filed certain manufacturing documentation.

Recalled cans were sold in 7 oz or 12 oz sizes and have “produced and distributed by Snapchill LLC” printed below their nutrition facts panels. Some products also feature “Snapchill Coffee” callouts on the front. The product was sold directly via Snapchill’s website and in numerous national retailers. 

Founded in 2017, Snapchill initially launched with its own line of RTD coffee under the Elemental Beverage Co. brand name. In addition to co-packing, executives planned to sell smaller versions of its proprietary coffee cooling system to cafes, but that sales channel appears to have stopped in its pilot phase.

The past two years saw two key developments that drove the adoption of Snapchill technology among coffee brands. First, in 2022, logistics and distribution company Englewood Marketing Group (EMG) reportedly purchased roughly half the company, giving Snapchill an easier route to market and access to EMG’s customer base. Then, in 2023, Snapchill partnered with Local Collective, a coffee incubator program that helps emerging brands get into Walmart stores, becoming its exclusive RTD manufacturer. Unfortunately, these are the same brands now being recalled.