Nearly 18,000 ice cream tubs recalled because of plastic shard concerns

WASHINGTON — An Iowa-based ice cream manufacturer has recalled nearly 18,000 three-gallon containers of ice cream and frozen yogurt due to the potential presence of plastic fragments in the products. 

Wells Enterprises, Inc., the maker of popular frozen dessert brands such as Blue Bunny and Halo Top, initiated the recall on April 25. On May 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration upgraded the recall to a Class II, which is the FDA’s second-highest grade for product issues. 

A Class II recall means that the product could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” That classification is often used for recalls involving foreign contaminants such as pieces of plastic, because foreign materials like plastic in food products can pose a choking hazard or lead to injury if consumed.

Wells Enterprises notified distribution centers via email about the recall.

Impacted items carry “Best If Used By” dates ranging from March through October 2026. While no injuries or illnesses have been reported, the company is urging distributors and customers to stop serving or selling the affected products immediately.

Wells Enterprises is headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, known as the “Ice Cream Capital of the World” since 1994 because of the company’s presence there. The recalled products were manufactured at the company’s South Ice Cream Plant located within the city.

The recall spans 103 distribution centers across the United States, making it a nationwide concern. Officials believe 17,866 tubs of ice cream and frozen yogurt were potentially contaminated with plastic. 

The affected products include 22 flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt packaged in 3-gallon containers, typically used in food service settings such as restaurants, cafeterias, and ice cream shops. While it’s not as common for those tubs to be sold to consumers, the FDA is advising anybody who has bought a large ice cream tub recently to check the packaging against the list of recalled products. 

• Rocky Road Flavored Ice Cream

• Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream

• Peanut Butter ‘N Fudge Ice Cream

• Country Rich Vanilla Ice Cream

• Scooper Hero Ice Cream

• Cotton Candy Flavored Ice Cream

• GFGB Vanilla Bean Flavored Ice Cream

• Quick Blend Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• Planet Smoothie ZSA Vanilla Flavored Fat Free Frozen Yogurt

• Johnny Rockets Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• BIPC Flavored Ice Cream

• Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

• Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• GFGB 12% Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• Gordon Choice Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Madagascar Vanilla

• Glenview Farms Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• Glenview Farms Chocolate Ice Cream

• Glenview Farms Artificially Flavored French Vanilla Ice Cream

• Artificially Flavored French Vanilla Ice Cream (Sysco)

• Keith Valley Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream

• Ellington Farms Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream