Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Recalls Thousands Of Pints For Walnut Contamination
It's fitting that Van Leeuwen ice cream started out in a truck in New York City because, since its beginnings in 2008, the brand hasn't stopped moving. The company is known for seriously crazy flavors like Hidden Valley Ranch, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and even a promotional flavor for Netflix's "Glass Onion," which featured swirls of caramelized onion jam.
Fans of Van Leeuwen should know, however, that the brand has issued a voluntary recall of more than 4,000 pints of its French ice cream in the Brown Sugar Chunk flavor because it contains walnut, which is an allergen not declared on the ice cream's packaging. According to a press release, the recall was issued due to a customer complaint, which was investigated and it was determined that the affected lot of Brown Sugar Chunk does, in fact, contain the undeclared allergen. People with a walnut allergy may experience a serious and even life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the ice cream from the affected batch.
What consumers should do if they've purchased the recalled ice cream
Consumers with walnut sensitivity or allergies should not consume the Van Leeuwen Brown Sugar Chunk ice cream from lot number 23P102, marked with a best by date of April 12, 2025. Both the lot number and date can be found on the bottom of the packaging. The ice cream was sold in frozen 14-ounce packages and the recalled lot was distributed at stores nationwide. Van Leeuwen recommends that consumers return the recalled ice cream to the store where it was purchased for a full refund and points out that no other flavor or lot is affected by the recall.
Van Leeuwen said the cause of the labeling oversight is being investigated. Last year, the company also issued a voluntary recall for its Oat Milk Brown Sugar Chunk ice cream because of a consumer report of an allergic reaction due to undeclared tree nuts, specifically pistachios and cashews. Tree nuts are one of the most common allergens, which is why the FDA requires that any product that contains tree nuts must declare them and also indicate which specific tree nut or nuts may be contained in a food.