NH DHHS Advises Consumers of Wilcox Ice Cream Recall Sold at Hanover Co-Op, Lebanon Co-Op and Monadnock Food Co-Op

Concord, NH - The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is advising consumers not to consume Wilcox Ice Cream ("best by" dates 9/13/24, 9/14/24, 9/15/24), produced by Wilcox Ice Cream in East Arlington, Vermont, as it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. 

The company is voluntarily recalling the following products:

Consumers should discontinue consumption of the product immediately. Please dispose of this product or return to your store of purchase for full credit.  

“Listeriosis can cause serious health concerns,” said Patricia Tilley, Director of the DHHS Division of Public Health Services (DPHS). “Foods that are contaminated may not look, smell, or taste any different so there is no way to tell if Listeria is present. The Division of Public Health Services is recommending that consumers, restaurants, and retailers check their freezers and throw away recalled ice cream products or return to the place of purchase for a full refund.”

The recall was initiated after a sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes by the DPHS Public Health Laboratory. No illnesses have been reported to date. Wilcox Ice Cream is sold at food establishments in New England including the Hanover Co-Op Food Store, Lebanon Co-Op Food Store and the Monadnock Food Co-Op in New Hampshire. DHHS will provide updates if additional New Hampshire distribution locations are identified. Wilcox Ice Cream is cooperating with state officials to determine the root cause of the contamination. 

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women, and others with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. The bacteria can also spread from the gut to other parts of the body and cause serious and invasive infection, including the nervous system leading to symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions. Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics, so anyone who suspects they may have the illness should contact their healthcare provider.

For questions about listeriosis, contact DPHS at 603-271-4496. For more information about listeriosis, visit www.cdc.gov/listeria/. For more information about the recall, go to www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/.