A food recall involving ice cream in August is a little startling. It’s the kind of news that arrives in a different way in the middle of summer, when freezers are loaded throughout New England and it seems almost like homework to check a lot code on a dessert container. Nevertheless, the check is worthwhile for anyone who recently purchased a quart of Gifford’s Power Play Fudge from a Hannaford or Shaws.
On August 14, Gifford’s Dairy, a fifth-generation family-owned business in Skowhegan, Maine, voluntarily recalled 3,585 one-quart containers of its HomeMaine Power Play Fudge ice cream. Five days later, on August 19, the FDA classified the incident as a Class II recall, indicating that even while there is little chance of serious injury, there is adequate cause for the product to be taken off the market. Potential rubber fragments in the ice cream are the problem.
A food-grade gasket attached to manufacturing machinery was identified by the company as the most likely cause. Before Gifford’s decided to recall the entire affected lot rather than simply the devices linked to specific complaints, a few consumers had already reported the issue. In food safety issues, that is a reasonably typical and possibly appropriate call. Pulling everything from that lot is easier than having to evaluate each container individually when you can’t immediately rule out contamination throughout a production run.
When checking their freezers, consumers should search for lot code 26184, UPC 8 60864 00030 7, and a best-by date of August 27, 2027. Only distribution in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont is covered by the recall. This action is unique to this lot, this product, and these three states; it does not apply to other Gifford’s flavors and products.
The Boston Bruins and Power Play Fudge have a long history together, dating back to October 2016 when Gifford’s and the Bruins announced a relationship that includes making this flavor the team’s official ice cream. With its golden vanilla ice cream base, crushed chocolate cookies, fudge ribbons, and chocolate bits shaped like hockey pucks, the recipe has a strong hockey motif. The Boston Bruins Foundation was initially designated to receive five percent of the flavor’s sales, with the money raised going toward Dorchester’s youth hockey initiatives. Instead of being just another grocery store item, it was intended to be a localized product with community significance.
Observing a recall like this gives one the impression that the response is just as important as the incident. Gifford’s engaged with the FDA on the classification, was open about the cause of the issue, and made the recall proactive rather than reactive to documented harm. A Class II designation indicates that no one should complete a container that matches the recalled lot, but it also indicates that the government does not consider this to be a high-probability serious health concern. The practical suggestion is straightforward: if the numbers match, don’t eat it.
