ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Ice cream brand Big Olaf Creamery has been linked to a listeria outbreak, which caused the death of one person and the hospitalization of 22 people across 10 states, reports NBC News. Big Olaf Creamery is in Sarasota, Florida, and is only sold in the state. The outbreak started in January 2021, according to the CDC.
At least 14 people ate Big Olaf ice cream in the month before their illness started. On Friday, the company began telling stores not to sell the ice cream.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Big Olaf said that the link between its ice cream and the listeria outbreak has not been confirmed, and that the company is working with state and federal health officials.
“We have been transparent and have answered all their questions and provided them with all the information requested from us, as the health and well-being of the public is our first priority,” the Big Olaf Creamery statement said.
Keeping facilities clean and safe is a basic business practice. For convenience retailers, NACS offers a series of e-learning modules ranging on topics of facility care, safety and security, compliance issues and foodservice via a partnership with Ready Training Online. Take advantage of the full library of online training resources.
NACS is hosting its inaugural NACS Food Safety Conference on Saturday, October 1, 2022, the first day of the 2022 NACS Show in Las Vegas, for food safety, food service, quality assurance and risk management professionals in the convenience retail industry.