Gelato Recall Update as FDA Sets Most Serious Risk Level Over Listeria Fear

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified a recall of Lidl US Gelatelli Coffee & Vanilla Gelato as Class I, its most serious recall category. Lidl US Trading recalled 1,122 units after a product test returned positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Newsweek contacted Lidl via email for comment on Wednesday but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Listeria contamination can pose a serious food-safety risk, which is why the FDA's Class I designation represents the highest level in its recall classification system. A Listeria infection "is an illness caused by bacteria that can spread through many foods" and "can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems," according to Mayo Clinic. The classification comes after Lidl initiated the recall on October 16 following a positive test result for Listeria monocytogenes in the product.

FDA records show the agency assigned the recall its Class I designation on November 3. The affected product is Gelatelli Naturally Flavored Coffee & Vanilla Gelato with Coffee Sauce & Cookie Pieces, sold in 16-fluid-ounce containers. Lidl US Trading, based in Arlington, Virginia, is listed as the recalling firm.

According to the FDA record, the company initiated the action voluntarily. Products included in the recall were shipped to Washington, D.C., Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia between July 19 and October 15, according to the FDA. Consumers trying to identify the affected gelato should look for UPC 4 056489 722458, along with lot number 085261 and a best by date of March 26, 2028.

The FDA lists Listeria monocytogenes as the reason for the recall, saying the firm received a positive test result for the bacteria in the product. The recall remains ongoing, according to the agency's current record. No termination date is listed.

Lidl began the recall on October 16, and the FDA record says the public or consignees were notified through two or more methods including email, fax, letter, press release, telephone or an in-person visit. A Class I recall is the FDA's highest-risk classification. The designation is used when there is a reasonable probability that using or being exposed to a product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.