Urgent recall issued for popular ice cream brand over plastic contamination fears

Wells Enterprises has recalled 22 flavors of its three-gallon tubs of ice cream (Picture: Getty Images)

Nearly 18,000 cartons of ice cream and frozen yogurt have been recalled for possibly containing plastic.

Wells Enterprises has recalled 22 varieties of its three-gallon tubs of frozen desserts that went to 103 distribution centers across the US.

The company based in Le Mars, Iowa, initiated the voluntary recall on April 25. But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is a federal agency protecting public health across the nation, on May 14 upgraded the recall to Class II, which is the second-highest level for products.

Anywhere from 17 to more than 5,000 tubs of each item are under the recall. Wells Enterprises makes ice cream for popular brands including Blue Bunny and Glenview Farms.

The affected ice cream and frozen yogurt were sent to 103 distribution centers across the US (Picture: Getty Images)

Many of the affected items are vanilla flavored.

The item that is most impacted is Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, which has 5,280 tubs under the recall. It is followed by Glenview Farms Artificially Flavored French Vanilla Ice Cream with 2,261 tubs recalled, BIPC Flavored Ice Cream with 1,858 tubs recalled, Glenview Farms Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream with 1,573 tubs recalled, and Gordon Choice Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream with 1,080 tubs recalled.

There are also 961 tubs of Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream, 937 tubs of Planet Smoothie ZSA Vanilla Flavored Fat Free Frozen Yogurt, 726 tubs of Scooper Hero Ice Cream, 699 Ellington Farms Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream, and 569 tubs of Keith Valley Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream recalled.

In addition, there are 359 tubs of Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream, 320 tubs of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Madagascar vanilla, 280 tubs of Quick Blend Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream, 240 tubs of Country Rich Vanilla Ice Cream, and 201 tubs of Peanut Butter ‘N Fudge Ice Cream recalled.

The US FDA designated the recall as Class II on May 14 (Picture: Getty Images)

The items with a relatively fewer number recalled were Rocky Road Flavored Ice Cream with 169 tubs affected, GFGB Vanilla Bean Flavored Ice Cream with 120 tubs, GFGB 12% Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream with 109 tubs, Johnny Rockets Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream with 100 tubs, Glenview Farms Chocolate Ice Cream with 67 tubs, Cotton Candy Flavored Ice Cream with 39 tubs, and Artificially Flavored French Vanilla Ice Cream with 17 tubs.

They have best if used by dates from March to October 2026.

The FDA defines Class II as the product possibly being able to ’cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote’.

Le Mars was nicknamed the ‘Ice Cream Capital of the World’ in 1994 just because Wells Enterprises is headquartered there. Items under the recall were produced at the company’s South Ice Cream Plant located in Le Mars.

The FDA classification came days after the supermarket chain Publix recalled pouches of baby food over fears of lead contamination.

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