The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers not to eat certain ice cream bars sold in Florida and 22 other states due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacteria.

The recall affects 10 varieties of ice cream bars produced by Rich Ice Cream, based in West Palm Beach, Florida. The products are marked with lot codes ranging from 24351 through 25156 and include:

• Chocolate Crunch Cake Bars
• Strawberry Shortcake Bars
• Rich Bars
• Crumbled Cookie Bars
• Orange Cream Bars
• Fudge Frenzy Bars
• Cotton Candy Twirl Bars
• Savagely Sour Blue Raspberry Bars
• Savagely Sour Cherry Bars
• Cool Watermelon Bars

These ice cream bars were distributed in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Rich Ice Cream voluntarily initiated the recall on June 27. The FDA classified it as a Class II recall on July 17, indicating that use of the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, with a low risk of serious illness.

Listeria infection, or listeriosis, can be mild in healthy individuals but may pose serious risks to pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

As of now, neither Rich Ice Cream nor the FDA has provided instructions regarding refunds or what consumers should do with the affected products.

For more information, contact Rich Ice Cream at (561) 833-7585 or visit www.richicecream.com. The FDA can also be reached at 1-888-463-6332.

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