By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that there has been a mysterious Listeria outbreak here in Florida?
According to the CDC, Big Olaf Creamery, an ice cream company located in Sarasota, has been linked to illnesses and even one death after public health officials interviewed 17 people, 14 of whom reported that they said they remembered eating ice cream before they became ill. Six of those people reported eating at the Big Olaf Creamery branded products, or from locations that may have been supplied by the company.
So far, there have been 22 hospitalizations and the 1 death due to the Listeria outbreak. According to the CDC, nearly all the infected individuals were either residents of Florida, or had travelled to Florida within a month of becoming ill.
The investigation into the Listeria outbreak is ongoing, but Big Olaf Creamery is contacting retailers advising them to no longer sell their products for the time being. People who have already purchased the Big Olaf Creamery brand should throw it away and clean any surfaces that have touched the ice cream products.