SARASOTA, Fla. — The state has now shut down the manufacturing of a Sarasota ice cream firm after listeria was found inside their processing facility.
On Wednesday the FDA introduced an official recall of Big Olaf Creamery merchandise.
This comes 11 days after the CDC put out a warning that 23 listeria instances, spanning over the past yr and a half, have been linked to the Sarasota ice cream firm.
But even after the CDC’s warning, some Big Olaf places remained open and continued promoting their ice cream.
Bill Marler who has been a meals security lawyer for 30 years and focuses on listeria instances stated he’s by no means seen something prefer it.
“I have no idea how many people ate ice cream on the fourth of July weekend, unknowingly that this facility was under investigation, I just think that’s crazy,” stated Marler.
Marler is representing the household of 79-year-old Mary Billman who they are saying died from listeria after consuming Big Olaf’s ice cream at a Sarasota location in January.
“That whole part is very concerning to me that the state didn’t jump on this earlier,” stated Marler.
Nearly one week after the CDC’s warning, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesperson Erin Moffet stated on July 7 they collected 100 environmental samples inside the Big Olaf facility the place ice cream is made. She stated out of the 100 floor space samples, 9 got here again optimistic for listeria.
Moffet stated they’re nonetheless awaiting outcomes from product testing that they need to get again in a number of days.
She stated in the meantime the corporate has stopped manufacturing on the facility and stopped promoting Big Olaf ice cream.
We reached out to Big Olaf Creamery for remark and didn’t hear again.