Maker of Halo Top, Blue Bunny recalls over 17,000 tubs of ice cream: See affected products
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About 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 people die each year from preventable foodborne illnesses.
Payton, USA TODAY
Over 17,000 tubs of ice cream products that include several popular brands like Blue Bunny have been voluntarily recalled due to the possible presence of plastic, the Food and Drug Administration announced.
The recall was initially initiated on April 25, and it affects Wells Enterprises-manufactured ice cream products to 103 facilities in the U.S. Wells Enterprises, based in Le Mars, Iowa, owns popular brands including Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop and Blue Ribbon Classics.
The FDA classified the recall, which affects 3-gallon ice cream products from the manufacturer, as Class II, meaning the use of or exposure to the product "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences."
The tubs of ice cream include varying flavors, with the largest being more than 5,280 tubs of Vanilla Frozen Yogurt.
"Foreign material (plastic) may be present in ice cream product," the recall says.
Which Wells Enterprises ice cream products were recalled?
All affected ice cream products contain an expiration date ranging between March and October 2026. The recalled items include:
What are the potential dangers of consuming plastics?
According to the United Nations Development Programme, the consumption of microplastics has been linked to serious health issues, such as endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health and cancer.
Although the potential dangers of consuming microplastics is apparent, World Health Organization analysis on current research related to microplastics identified that there is currently limited evidence to indicate that microplastics are causing significant adverse health impacts on humans.
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.
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