The Ohio-based company first opened its doors in Columbus, Ohio in 2002. It has grown to include six stores in Cleveland, Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, Charleston and Los Angeles.
The ice cream company also sells to retail stores across the country and online. According to a company statement released today, the company is ceasing all sales and closing all scoop shops until all products are ensured to be 100 percent safe.
The company is not aware of any illness resulting from the consumption of any of their products but after the expanded recall this week by Blue Bell Ice Cream products, Jeni’s recall was done “with an abundance of caution” to ensure complete customer safety.
Jeni’s CEO, John Lowe said the L. monocytogenes contamination was discovered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture during a routine sampling of a Jeni’s product. The name of the product was not made known.
“We have called in experts to help us find the root cause,” Lowe said in the statement. “We will be working with our suppliers to determine if the bacteria was introduced by one of the ingredients we use. We will not reopen the kitchen until we can ensure the safety of our customers.”
Customers with any questions or concerns may contact Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at 614-360-3905 between the hours of 9 am and 10 pm (E.D.T.) on April 23 and 24, from 9 am to 5 pm (E.D.T.) on April 25 and 26, and from 9 am to 5 pm (E.D.T.) on Mondays through Fridays thereafter. Jeni’s can also be contacted by email at recall@jenis.com, and at jenis.com/recall.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeria causes 1,600 serious illnesses each year in the United States. Listeria is also much more common than people may realize. For example, Kroger currently lists over a dozen recalls for Listeria contamination on its website from February, 2015 through this week.
