PORT TOWNSEND — A widespread recall of dairy products because of possible listeria contamination has prompted a Port Townsend business to destroy about 1,300 pounds of ice cream.
Elevated Ice Cream, 631 Water St., received the recall notice Tuesday, which forced it to dispose of all of dairy-based inventory from Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream.
The Snohomish company, which supplied Elevated with the base for its locally made ice cream products, issued Tuesday the voluntary recall of nearly a year’s worth of ice cream and related products because of possible listeria contamination.
State health officials said two illnesses in King County have been linked to the products recalled by the company.
Elevated was open Wednesday selling Italian ices, a non-dairy product it also manufactures, said David McCulloch, who co-owns the store with his wife, Julie McCulloch.
Julie McCulloch said that listeria could be fatal for people with compromised immune systems and is dangerous for pregnant women.
“We’ve been told that listeria is everywhere in our environment, just like salmonella and ecoli,” she said.
“The goal is to keep it out of the food chain, but sometimes it gets in.
The store, which is closed today, will open at its regular time of 10 a.m. Friday but will offer Italian ices instead of ice cream.
The store has already secured ice cream base from another supplier, and ice cream will be available starting Saturday on a limited basis with about six standard flavors, David McCulloch said.
Federal regulations require ice cream manufacturers that are not dairies to purchase the base mix from a licensed dairies where strict health procedures are observed, Julie McCulloch said.
Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream will be out of commission for several days but is expected to get a clean bill of health soon.
After that, Elevated will continue purchasing from the company, David McCulloch said.
“They are a mom-and-pop operation like this and are very responsible,” he said.
“They have pulled their product, which is sold in several major chains.”
Anyone who has purchased ice cream from Elevated that has not been consumed should dispose of it or return it for a refund, McCulloch said.
Both of the men who were hospitalized in King County were in their 50s and had medical conditions, state Health Department spokesman Donn Moyer said, adding that they recovering out of the hospital.
The recall covers products made from Jan. 1 until Dec. 15.
Products include all flavors and sizes of ice cream, gelato, custard and sorbet, as well as Emerald & Spruce Ice Cream and Top Pot Hand Forged Ice Cream.
The company said listeria was found in samples from its production facility that were analyzed by the state Agriculture Department.
The company said it is working with the state and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine the cause.
The products were distributed in Arizona, Idaho, California, Oregon and Washington and may have been further distributed in Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Listeria can cause serious illness and even death in groups such as children, the frail and the elderly.
Healthy people may suffer flu-like symptoms, such as high fever, headache, nausea and diarrhea.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
