Listeria Found In Samples From Big Olaf’s Sarasota Processing Facility

SARASOTA, FL — Listeria was found at Big Olaf Creamery’s processing facility in Sarasota, which had already shut down operations, according to multiple reports.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially linked a national listeria outbreak that left one person dead and nearly two dozen people hospitalized to the ice cream brand in a June 30 food safety alert.

Testing showed the presence of listeria in nine of 100 samples collected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at Big Olaf’s facility, WFLA reported. The agency is still waiting on the results from one facility sample and the company’s product samples.

FDACS issued a stop-use order for the facility, though Big Olaf had already shut it down voluntarily, according to Fox 13.

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The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has also issued a recall of Big Olaf brand ice cream sold to consumers in plastic pint-size containers and plastic ½-gallon containers and to retailers in plastic 2.5-gallon tubs. The recall includes all flavors, lots, codes and expiration dates through June 30.

The ice cream was sold to and served at Big Olaf retailers, restaurants and senior homes in Florida, as well as one location in Fredericksburg, Ohio.

The brand is facing two lawsuits related to the outbreak. The estate of a 79-year-old Pesotum, Illinois woman, Mary Billman, who died Jan. 29 filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Big Olaf. A Massachusetts woman is also suing the company after she became ill from eating the ice cream while visiting Florida and lost her pregnancy, her attorney said.

As of Thursday, 23 people ranging in age from less than 1 year old to 92 have been infected during this outbreak. The first illness happened Jan. 24, 2021, and the most recent was reported June 12, 2022, the CDC said.

Recent illnesses might not be reported yet because it takes three to four weeks to determine whether someone who is sick is part of the outbreak, the agency added. Symptoms usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria, though people might feel sick as early as the same day or as many as 70 days later.

Those with Listeriosis, caused by the germ Listeria monocytogenes, typically report common food poisoning symptoms, such as diarrhea and fever. Most people usually recover without requiring treatment, the CDC said. It primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 and older, and those with weakened immune systems.

During this current listeria outbreak, 12 people in Florida — the most out of any state — have fallen ill. New York and Massachusetts have each reported two sick people, while Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, Georgia and Pennsylvania have each reported one sick person.

Of the 17 people interviewed by public health officials, 14 of them (82 percent) reported they had eaten ice cream, the CDC said. Six of those people reported eating Big Olaf brand ice cream.