Rich Ice Cream Company Expands Precautionary Voluntary Multi-State Recall to Include Rich’s Candy Bar Avalanche

(West Palm Beach, FL – February 26, 2009) – As a precautionary measure in response to the ongoing investigations of Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) and its Texas facility, Rich Ice Cream Company, Inc. has expanded its voluntary recall to include Rich’s Candy Bar Avalanche because the product may contain peanuts which have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Rich Ice Cream has received no complaints or reports of illnesses related to our product to date. The recall was initiated after it was determined that the supplier of chocolate peanut clusters used in the product may have used peanuts from PCA’s Texas facility. PCA is no longer a supplier for any peanut product or ingredient used at Rich Ice Cream Company.

Rich’s Candy Bar Avalanche is distributed in AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI, VA, Barbados and the Bahamas in bulk packages of 12, and sold to consumers in individual 10 fl. oz. ice cream cups, with UPC 75455-34100 on the individual package. All lots are included in the recall, including all code dates beginning with a 7 or 8.

Because Rich’s Candy Bar Avalanche is typically consumed at the point of sale, it is unlikely that consumers will have the product on hand in their homes. However, if for some reason consumers have the product at home, they are instructed to dispose of it.