Last year, reader M. sent us pictures of her favorite low-calorie ice cream bars from Weight Watchers, noting that the bars had each lost a few milliliters. Apparently, the Giant Fudge Bars have stayed with their program, and have now become less giant. [More]
ice cream
Dean Foods Buys Ice Cream And Intellectual Property From Friendly’s, Will License Back Trademark To Restaurants
By 5.10.16
You may remember that ice cream parlor and restaurant chain Friendly’s filed for bankruptcy back in 2011. Since then, the chain closed some restaurants and kept going. Now the nation’s largest dairy distributor, Dean Foods, wandered past the remaining business that Friendly’s has, and likes what it sees in the ice cream case. It’s acquiring the retail and ice cream making parts of the business, but not the chain of restaurants. [More]
Blue Bell Recalls Pints Of Ice Cream Because Rocky Road Is Not Cookies ‘N Cream
By 5.4.16
Ask any ice cream lover — or novice, really — and they’ll tell you there’s a fundamental difference between Rocky Road and Cookies ’n Cream flavors: one obviously contains cookies and the other marshmallows and nuts. Yet somehow, the two flavors were mixed up during production, leading the Texas-based creamery to recall the products. [More]
You Can Get A Free Ice Cream Cone Today At Carvel
By 4.21.16
If you’re looking for a treat this afternoon, you can get a free junior soft-serve cone if there’s a Carvel store near you from 3 PM to 8 PM. The cones are free, and vanilla, chocolate, and Oreo flavors are available. Customers who stop by can get a special coupon book if they make a $1 donation to the American Red Cross. [Carvel] [More]
Blue Bunny Shrink Rays Ice Cream And Frozen Yogurt Half-Gallons To 1.44 Quarts
By 3.14.16
It wasn’t all that long ago that ice cream was sold in actual half gallons, instead of containers of 1.5 to 1.75 quarts… or even smaller. Blue Bunny, a brand that has generally stayed at the higher end of the range, used a recent package redesign to mask shrinkage down to 46 ounces, or 1.44 quarts. [More]
NYC In Need Of A Dairy Hero As Rash Of Ice Cream Pint Thefts Threatens City’s Häagen-Dazs Supply
By 2.12.16
Go into your freezer, grab that pint of Häagen-Dazs and hold it tight, New Yorkers: someone out there is targeting high-end ice cream in a series of thefts that may or may not be indicative of a dairy shoplifting ring. [More]
Ben & Jerry’s Produces Vegan Frozen Non-Dairy Dessert With Almond Milk
By 2.3.16
Great news for people who no longer eat dairy, but who periodically crave a pint of Chunky Monkey! Ben & Jerry’s has introduced a line of dairy-free frozen desserts based on almond milk. Having a full vegan line from a popular brand owned by consumer-goods conglomerate Unilever might put dairy-free ice cream in more stores and accessible to more people. [More]
Price Chopper Recalls Ice Cream Because Metal Shavings Aren’t A Good Topping
By 1.20.16
Hot fudge, peanuts, whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherries — these are all popular and edible toppings to include in your nightly bowl of ice cream. You know what’s not? Metal shavings, and for that reason Price Chopper and Market 32 has issued a recall of hundreds of tubs of the cool treat. [More]
Blue Bell Pinky Swears, Promises Its Ice Cream Is Totally Safe To Eat Now
By 1.12.16
Blue Bell Creameries is working hard to reassure customers after last year’s outbreak of Listeria contamination and a slew of massive recalls, issuing yet another message promising that its products are now safe to eat. [More]
Blue Bell Working To Eliminate Possible Listeria Sources In Factories; Says Ice Cream Is Safe
By 1.8.16
Beloved ice cream brand Blue Bell is still expanding its distribution again after last year’s Listeria contamination and massive recalls. The company issued an update last night about its production facilities with some potentially frightening information: that because “Listeria is commonly found in the natural environment,” and “no manufacturer can ever assume it can be entirely eradicated,” Blue Bell has “identified locations where suspected Listeria species may be present” in its facility. However, they assure the ice cream-eating public that its ice cream isn’t contaminated. [More]
DOJ Investigating Blue Bell Listeria Outbreak, Could Result In Criminal Charges
By 12.30.15
Is it a crime to knowingly ship food to customers that may be contaminated with deadly foodborne pathogens? Earlier this year, executives from the Peanut Corporation of America were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an outbreak that made thousands of people sick, killing nine. The beloved ice cream brand Blue Bell may be back on store shelves, but federal investigators are currently asking whether anyone should be held criminally responsible. [More]
Scientists Working Hard To Save Us All From Rapidly Melting Ice Cream Cones
By 9.1.15
It’s a hot day, you’ve got a cool treat — it’s inevitable. That ice cream scoop, once so perfect in its rounded form, is going to melt, forcing you to fight the age-old battle against drips with your tongue as your only weapon. Take heart, dessert warriors: there are scientists out there who are trying to help us all, by developing an ice cream that takes a bit longer to melt. [More]
Blue Bell Says Ice Cream Will Be Back In Some Stores On Aug. 31
By 8.17.15
The nightmare is over, Blue Bell fans: four months after a recall linked to a listeria outbreak saw the ice cream disappear from shelves, months filled with speculation over when the company would start churning out dessert again, Blue Bell will be returning to select stores starting Aug. 31. [More]
Truckloads Of Blue Bell Ice Cream Heading To Stores
By 8.12.15
Stay strong, Americans in southern states: it might be almost the end of summer, but your frozen dessert salvation may be soon at hand. The Blue Bell ice cream plant in Sylacauga, Alabama, which was never officially linked to any cases of listeriosis, began producing test batches in July and gained approval to distribute their products last week. [More]
Blue Bell’s Alabama Plant Gets State Approval To Distribute Ice Cream
By 8.5.15
Blue Bell ice cream has been off the shelves for some months now due to an outbreak of listeriosis that hospitalized ten people and killed three. Now there’s hope for desperate Blue Bell fans: the company’s production facility in Alabama, which didn’t cause any known illnesses, has been making test batches of ice cream and will now be allowed to distribute them. [More]
Rita’s Italian Ice Locations Stop Serving Frozen Custard Amid Egg Shortage
By 7.8.15
First it was a grocery store chain asking customers to limit themselves when buying cartons of eggs, and then it was shorter (temporary) breakfast hours. And now, consumers are feeling the repercussions of a national egg shortage in the category of icy treats: Rita’s Italian Ice notified customers that it won’t be serving frozen custard, and will instead be replacing that menu item as it runs out with soft-serve ice cream. [More]
FDA Report Shows Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Failed To Adequately Comply With Testing, Cleaning Procedures
By 5.21.15
While Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams prepares to reopen its scoop shops this weekend, newly released federal investigation reports show the Ohio-based company’s issues date back several years before its public battle with listeria contamination. [More]
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream To Reopen Scoop Shops After Listeria Contamination
By 5.15.15
A week after Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream announced it had pinpointed the source of the listeria contamination that led to the Ohio-based company recalling all of its products and closing its boutique stores, the treats maker has restored production –– just in time for summer. [More]
