Before grabbing a frozen treat this summer, consumers are urged to check their freezers. The FDA has announced a widespread recall of popular ice cream snack bars distributed across more than 20 states, citing a potential health risk linked to a resilient foodborne bacterium.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the recall of several ice cream products from Florida-based Rich’s Ice Cream as a Class II due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The recall, announced on July 17, follows the voluntary withdrawal of over 110,000 cases of ice cream bars that began on June 27, 2025.
Multiple varieties are affected, including 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, and Cool Watermelon Bars.The recalled items were distributed across 23 U.S. states: Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Alabama, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Iowa, South Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada, Louisiana, and Nebraska.
Additionally, products were sold in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. As of now, no illnesses have been linked to the recalled products. The FDA has listed the recall status as “ongoing.”According to the FDA, a Class II recall is “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium responsible for listeriosis, can survive in soil, water, sewage, and decaying vegetation, as well as in animals. The FDA notes that the pathogen “can survive and grow even under refrigeration.”
