CHICAGO — Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream has temporarily closed its scoop shops and stopped making ice cream after finding more listeria in its Columbus, Ohio, production facility.
Jeni's had to recall all its products and close up its shops in April due to listeria contamination, but production restarted in May. No contaminated ice cream has been served since then, and regular testing led to Jeni's finding the more recent outbreak of listeria, according to a message from CEO John Lowe.
Lowe said Jeni's has "a theory" for how the listeria re-entered its production facility, and it is testing that theory, but the ice cream maker does not yet know when production will restart and the shops will reopen.
"While we would most certainly prefer that listeria never enter our facility, we do take solace in the fact that our protocols and testing have worked: We found the listeria before it got into ice cream we served," Lowe said in the message. "This finding and our ceasing of production enables us the opportunity to prevent contamination and continue to ensure the safety of our customers."
Jeni's has shops at 3403 N. Southport in Lakeview and 1505 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park, and its ice cream is sold in grocery stores throughout the city.
Listeria causes a potentially fatal infection and primarily affects seniors, pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
No one reported being ill due to Jeni's April listeria contamination.
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