Popular ice cream company behind Hershey’s files for bankruptcy – hit by listeria recall

A popular ice cream company that produces Hershey’s cakes has declared bankruptcy, months after the company was forced to recall contaminated products.

Totally Cool Incorporation, a Maryland-based frozen food manufacturer, filed for bankruptcy on August 23.

In addition to Hershey’s ice cream and cakes, the manufacturer also produces products from Friendly’s, Taharka Brothers, Dolcezza, Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery, Jeni’s and ChipWich.

The announcement comes after tests in June showed the products could be contaminated with listeria.

According to the FDA notice, Listeria monocytogenes can be fatal to young children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems who are infected with Listeria.

After the company was forced to halt production, about 68 of its 71 employees were laid off, according to The Baltimore Banner.

So far, Totally Cool has listed debts ranging from $1 million to $10 million and assets ranging from $500,000 to $1 million in its official filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.

The company now plans to restructure itself to repay its creditors, who range from 50 to 99.

The affected products had been shipped across the United States, available in stores and delivered directly to people’s homes prior to the recall.

The full list of products can be found hereCustomers who have these should return them for a full refund or they can throw them away immediately.

As of June 24, no illnesses associated with the recalled products have been reported.

However, consumers who have any of the listed products in their possession are urgently requested to return them immediately.

Totally Cool makes products for brands and supermarkets – with long-term deals and shorter deals where it steps in to meet peaks in demand.

For example, Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, one of the affected brands, tapped Totally Cool to step in to produce two of its most popular flavors, Honey Graham and Key Lime.

“While no listeria has been found in our ice cream, or in ice cream produced at Totally Cool, the FDA is requesting a full recall out of an abundance of caution,” Taharka said in a statement on Facebook.

The company has now restarted production of both flavors in its own factory.

Jenni products like this one are also included in the recall

People who are otherwise healthy can suffer from high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea due to an infection with the bacteria.

Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to listeria, as it can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.

Symptoms usually begin within 24 hours of consumption and may last for days or weeks depending on the severity of the infection.

Listeria cases are extremely rare in the U.S. Previous outbreaks have usually been linked to the distribution of unpasteurized milk and cheese, ice cream, raw fruits and vegetables, and undercooked meat, according to the FDA.

The CDC estimates that 1,600 people contract listeriosis each year, of whom 260 die from the disease.