Wisconsin Ice Cream Company Recalls 2 Flavors Over High Allergy Risk

It's no secret that universally-dangerous bacteria like E. Coli and salmonella can pose a serious threat to consumers if ingested. But, for foodies predisposed to adverse immune system reactions, unknowingly ingesting undeclared allergens can be just as dangerous. According to FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education), an estimated 33 million people in the U.S. have "at least one food allergy" in 2024.

Now, two flavors from a Wisconsin-based ice cream brand are being pulled from shelves for a packaging problem — which is no small matter. As reported by an official voluntary recall notice from the FDA on Thursday, November 7, it's a mislabelling issue. The Orange Custard Chocolate Chip ice cream flavor by Babcock Dairy may have been incorrectly labeled as the Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream flavor. To make sure consumers are safe from the "potential or undeclared egg allergen," both flavors are being recalled. "People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs or yellow #5 run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," explains the FDA in the recall statement.

The affected batch includes the half-gallon size products of the two flavors, labeled with the production date September 17. Consumers who have purchased the product can return it to its place of purchase for a refund. The issue was brought to officials' attention when a customer reported the mislabelling on November 4. No illness caused by ingesting the ice cream have been reported thus far.

The affected batch seems relatively contained to a limited area. The ice cream was distributed to Babcock Dairy Store, Metcalfe's Markets, Ken's Meats & Deli and Capitol Centre Market local retail establishments in Wisconsin. Per the FDA report, the batch includes an estimated 41 cases total, and "Babcock Dairy Staff retrieved all of the remaining product from retail outlets within three hours of discovery." 

Babcock Dairy, which is a subsidiary of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Science, has already announced a series of reputation-saving (and potentially life-saving) preventative measures including "retraining of employees on proper labeling procedures," increased "verification checks," and "increased organization and separation of packaging materials."

There are nine major allergens that must be declared as a warning label on all food packaging: milk, soy, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and sesame. "Given [their ability to] cause illness, or even death, allergen control in food manufacturing must be a foundational activity for food safety risk mitigation," writes Jeremy Adler, PhD, Senior RD&E Program Leader of F&B Food Safety at Ecolab. Undeclared allergens have recently caused the recall of everything from organic salad kits to waffle cone treats and Lactaid milk – and this trio is part of a much larger trend that's occurred within the past year alone. With allergen-related major food recalls seemingly on the rise, susceptible consumers might be asking, "How safe is our food?"