Straus Family Creamery recalls ice cream

Straus Family Creamery voluntarily recalled a small number of production runs of select organic ice cream products on May 14 because of the potential presence of metal foreign material, according to a company notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA published the company announcement on May 15 and said the recall covers various pint and quart products sold under the Straus Family Creamery brand. The Petaluma, California-based company said the affected lots were distributed to retailers in 17 states and had been on shelves beginning May 4. Straus said no injuries had been reported. ### Which ice cream products are included in the recall? The FDA notice says the recall applies only to specific production runs identified by best-by dates, not to all Straus ice cream products. The company described the affected items as select flavors and sizes of its Organic Super Premium Ice Cream in paper cups with a seal and lid, sold in pint and quart containers. (fda.gov) Straus Family Creamery said consumers should look for the best-by date printed in black on the outside bottom of the container. The company’s recall page says the affected products include Vanilla Bean pint, Strawberry quart, Strawberry pint, Mint Chip pint, Cookie Dough pint and Dutch Chocolate quart items tied to listed best-by dates. (fda.gov) ### Where were the recalled products sold? Straus said the recalled lots were distributed to retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. The company said those lots were on shelves beginning May 4. (fda.gov) The company did not say in the notice how many units were affected. The FDA page identifies the recall as a company announcement and says the agency posted it as a public service. ### What should consumers do if they bought one of the affected pints or quarts? (fda.gov) Straus Family Creamery said consumers who purchased the recalled product should discard it. The company said customers should not eat the recalled ice cream and should not return it to the store. (fda.gov) The recall page says consumers with questions or seeking support can contact Straus at support@strausmilk.com or 1-707-776-2887 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday. Straus also said consumers seeking a voucher for a replacement product at a local retailer can use the company’s recall page. (fda.gov) ### What have Straus and regulators said about the risk? The FDA listing gives the reason for the announcement as the “presence of metal fragments.” Straus said it was recalling the products because of the potential presence of metal foreign material and said it had informed the FDA. (fda.gov) Straus said it was working with retailers to remove potentially affected products from shelves. The company said it had “implemented appropriate corrective actions,” though the notice did not describe those steps in detail. ### How can shoppers verify whether their ice cream is affected? (fda.gov) The company’s recall page says not all Straus ice cream is impacted and that the voluntary recall includes only specific flavors, sizes and best-by dates. Straus provided product photos and instructions showing that the best-by date appears on the outside bottom of the container. (fda.gov) As of May 18, the FDA recall posting remained live and Straus continued to direct consumers to its recall page for product details, support and voucher requests. The next step for shoppers is to compare the flavor, container size and best-by date on any Straus ice cream they have at home against the company’s affected-product list. (fda.gov)