Ice Cream Recall Update As FDA Issues Highest Risk Warning

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified Arizona Foods Group's Mombo's Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream Mix at its highest risk level, Class I, after the company recalled the product in January due to a possible undeclared allergen, eggs.

Why It Matters

The FDA issues a Class I recall in "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

What To Know

On January 19, Arizona Foods Group, which is based in Phoenix, initiated the recall of its Mombo's Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream Mix as the product may have contained egg, without the allergen being declared.

On February 21, the FDA announced its classification of the recall as Class I, the highest risk category due to the fact that the undeclared allergen could cause severe or even life-threatening allergic reactions in those unable to eat it.

Egg is one of the nine main food allergens, along with milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts and sesame.

There were 4,422 half-gallon units affected, 737 cases in total, all of which were distributed within Nevada.

The affected products were described in the FDA update as packaged in a half gallon carton (64-ounce) and in cases of six units.

The shelf-life of the product was detailed as 18 months if frozen and 30 days if thawed or refrigerated.

The carton of the product is plain white with a sticker label on one side and a code on the opposite side. Products with the code PLT 04-21 00925 are listed as affected products.

What People Are Saying

Arizona Foods Group Inc, told Newsweek: "Fortunately, the product was never distributed into the public. All involved product was successfully retrieved in full, before it was made available to consumers. All of the involved product was subsequently destroyed."

The FDA says on its website regarding food allergies: "Symptoms of food allergies typically appear from within a few minutes to a few hours after a person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.

Symptoms of allergic reactions can include:

• Hives
• Flushed skin or rashes
• Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
• Face, tongue, or lip swelling
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Coughing or wheezing
• Dizziness and/or light-headedness
• Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of consciousness

People with a known food allergy who begin experiencing any of these symptoms should stop eating the food immediately, evaluate the need to use emergency medication (such as epinephrine) and seek medical attention.

What Happens Next

The status of the recall has been noted as completed in the FDA update on February 21.

Update 02/24/25, 04:02 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Arizona Foods Group.