H-E-B ice cream is now being voluntarily recalled due to fears that some of the frozen desserts may contain wood fragments.
Representatives of the supermarket chain headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, have revealed this preemptive measure on Thursday, February 4, through the official website pertaining to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The voluntary recall refers solely to the Caramel Pecan Turtle Ice Cream, which is one of H-E-B’s Creamy Creations, alongside other premium ice cream flavors, such as Rocky Road, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Toasted Almond Fudge, Birthday Cake, Dulce de Leche or Banana Nut.
H-E-B Caramel Pecan Turtle Ice cream is commercialized in half-a-gallon white containers which have a black lid. In theory, the frozen treats should include milk, dairy cream, chocolate, caramel and pecan nuts. However, it appears that there’s a possibility that in the production line wood splinters have also reached the creamy dessert.
As company executives have declared, no one has so far brought to their attention injuries or other adverse reactions caused by the potentially hazardous ice cream.
Even so, in an effort to place customer safety first, the recall was deemed necessary, and was promptly ordered throughout all the H-E-B grocery stores found across Texas and northeast Mexico.
More precisely, the batches that are considered perilous at the moment are those that have the following universal product code (UPC): 0 4122051877 7.
It’s also possible to identify the products that are now being subjected to the recall based on their sell-by date, which is one of the following: April 20, 2016; May 10, 2016; June 7, 2016; July 18, 2016.
If anyone has bought any Caramel Pecan Turtle Ice Cream distributed by H-E-B and recognized the container as having the UPC and Sell-by Date markings mentioned in the recall announcement, they should refrain from consuming this food item.
Instead, the ice cream should be promptly discarded, or returned to the point of purchase, so that the customer can still benefit from a full refund.
In case someone has already consumed H-E-B ice cream that is now being removed from supermarket shelves, they should contact a medical practitioner if any worrying symptoms appear.
In addition, people who might have queries regarding this voluntary recall initiated by H-E-B should call the company’s Customer Service Department, at 1-855-432-4438.
On a side note, it’s worth mentioning that this is actually the second major recall to affect a Texas-based ice cream manufacturer in less than a year.
Back in January 2015, a Lysteria monocytogenes outbreak emerged among people who had consumed ice cream produced by Blue Bell Creameries.
10 persons fell ill and required hospitalization, three of the patients eventually succumbing to complications triggered by listeriosis.
As the health crisis was unfolding, Blue Bell ice cream was also removed from retail stores, and factories producing the beloved dessert halted their operations.
After imposing much stricter safety measures and carrying out extensive cleaning throughout all its facilities, Blue Bell was eventually allowed to resume production, and the ice cream has been gradually re-introduced in supermarkets starting from August.
Image Source: FDA