Molly Moon’s is closed through Friday due to a voluntary recall by Snoqualmie Ice Cream. According to their blog:
our shops will be closed a few extra days around the Christmas holiday this year. our dairy partner, Snoqualmie Gourmet, has just announced a voluntary recall of all their product — which includes the milk and cream we use to make all our ice creams. to be 100% safe this holiday season, we are shutting down, making all new ice cream and starting fresh. shops will re-open on Friday the 26th.
customers who have any molly moon’s ice cream (excluding our vegan ice cream and our sorbets) should dispose of it or return it to the shop of purchase for a refund. if you have questions or concerns, please call Snoqualmie Ice Cream, Inc. at 213-316-8323 during normal hours of operations (Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm PST).
the important thing is that no one has gotten sick. we are doing this out of an abundance of caution!
According to Snoqualmie Ice Cream’s press release, the recall is due to a concern that the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes:
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. […] The voluntary recall was initiated based on the confirmation positive result of Listeria monocytogenes in the samples collected within the production facility and analyzed by Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)
When Molly Moon’s began, they did not make their own ice cream, but instead just applied flavors to the Snoqualmie “base” (i.e., milk, sugar, etc.) I’m not sure if that’s still true, as they’ve just identified Snoqualmie as their “dairy partner”.
(Thanks for the tip, Colleen!)
So the only difference between Full Tilt and Molly Moons is the flavors? Interesting.
On a side note, this is the reason I never gave up soft cheeses, sushi or deli meats while pregnant. The doctors like to give you a ridiculous list of foods to avoid, but then people get sick from random things like canteloups and ice cream.
so overrated. i suggest a trip to parfait for actual homemade ice cream
I also wondered when I read the “dairy partner” bit. There’s another article about this that explains, “Molly Moon’s does not use Snoqualmie Gourmet ice cream, but does use dairy and sugar pasteurized at the facility.”
Could be open to interpretation I suppose, but worth sharing.
http://q13fox.com/2014/12/23/snoqualmie-ice-cream-issues-voluntary-recall-molly-moons-forced-to-close/
Is it lying for Molly Moon’s to market their ice cream as homemade?
“Homemade” isn’t a regulated term like “organic”.
Since I don’t think anyone is meant to believe that the ice cream is actually made in someone’s home, I don’t know that I’d call it lying.
I did confirm from Emilia Arnold, Project Manager at MM’s, that Snoqualmie still manufactures their base for them:
“Snoqualmie Ice Cream does in fact make and pasteurize our base for us. It’s a custom base, made with ingredients we select.”
Hold on here. MM says the recall “includes the milk and cream we use to make all our ice creams.” But it DOESN’T say that. It says “Snoqualmie Ice Cream has issued a voluntary recall of all Snoqualmie ICE CREAM PRODUCTS…” MM implies that they use SIC milk and cream to make their own ice cream.
http://snoqualmieicecream.com/rc
Similarly, Q13 (link above) says “Molly Moon’s does not use Snoqualmie Gourmet ice cream, but does use dairy and sugar pasteurized at the facility”. Just dairy and sugar? Raw ingredients?
BUT…Jordan confirms that SIC makes their base.
If SIC makes the base, why not just say the recall “includes the ICE CREAM Snoqalmie MAKES for us”? Or at least “ice cream base”?
Which gets me thinking. I could serve you a fabulous homemade cheeseburger that I actually got from Dick’s. You could ask if I made it. I could truthfully tell you that I got the cheese from my dairy partner, Dicks. But being silent about the fact that that entire burger was also sourced from dicks is misleading.
So is MM’s base the cheese and MM’s ice cream the burger? By that I mean does SIC produce MM’s ice cream to the point it’s ready to scoop? If so, then SIC makes MM’s ice cream.
Similarly, SIC makes Bartells’ ice cream, which is mentioned in the Q13 article. But it states that Bartells’ “private label ice cream [is] PRODUCED by Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream Inc.”. Similarly in the Seattle Times: “Bartell Drugs has pulled all its Emerald & Spruce private-label ice cream, which is MADE by Snoqualmie.”
So, what’s the difference? I would say that if SIC gives MM ice cream ready to scoop, then SIC makes ice cream for MM. I know that MM reads this blog. Could she maybe chime in and clarify?
PS All your base belong to us.
If I recall from my time in culinary school, nearly all commercial ice cream base is made in one of just a few facilities statewide. It’s very tightly controlled by state regulations, Snoqualmie is just one of the largest providers. Most ice cream shops in town use them, then build their own creations around it.
I get unpasteurized HUMAN milk from my ads on CRAIGSLIST, and I make ALL my homemade icecream from that.
mmmMomma!
I hope MM has made an insurance claim against Snoqualmie. Snoqualmie has negatively impacted MM’s business and reputation.
Wallyhood, I believe it is absolutely lying to call that ice cream “homemade.” While technically, it might not be illegal, it’s totally unethical. If a business claims to make homemade food, customers will believe that the food is made from scratch. But ice cream from a “base” is like cake from a box. Referring to the Snoqualmie factory as their “dairy partner” is like calling Duncan Hines someone’s “flour partner.” It’s totally evasive and misleading. I think consumers should be outraged that doctored-up industrial food has been sold to them as homemade.
And they should be more than a little concerned about the failed health department inspection at Snoqualmie’s factory, with citations that include “black slime…black buildup and hairlike growth on milk carts…flies…etc.”
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025342159_snoqualmielisteriaxml.html