Ice cream products in Mountlake Terrace and throughout the western United States were pulled from retail store freezers on Tuesday after a Snohomish company voluntarily recalled their selection of ice cream, gelato, custard and sorbet because of a potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.

The Mountlake Terrace QFC store, 22803 44^th Ave. W., removed all the Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream they had in their aisle freezers at 4 p.m., shortly after they had received word from the private ice cream company to do so.

The voluntary recall by Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream Inc. was initiated based on the confirmation positive result of Listeria monocytogenes in the samples collected within the production facility and analyzed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The company is working with the Federal Department of Agruculture (FDA) and WSDA to investigate the root cause.

The voluntary recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the WSDA.

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 products included in the recall are labeled Snoqualmie Ice Cream, Snoqualmie Gelato, Snoqualmie Custard, Snoqualmie Sorbet or Emerald & Spruce Ice Cream or Top Pot Hand Forged Ice Cream and have a production date code located on the bottom of the container. The date codes included either end in “4”, e.g. XXX4 (pints and cups) or are listed by date: January 1, 2014 through December 15, 2014 (trays & tubs).

The Mountlake Terrace QFC had stocked a wide selection of the company’s ice cream, gelato and custard in pint size containers.

Customers who have purchased the affected product should dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase where they will receive a refund, Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream officials said. Consumers with questions or concerns may call the company at 213-316-8323 during normal hours of operations (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.).

The ice cream, gelato, custard and sorbet were distributed in Arizona, Idaho, California, Oregon, and Washington may have been further distributed and sold in various retail outlets in Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.