As of October 16, 2026, Lidl US of Arlington, Virginia is recalling one lot of Gelatelli Coffee & Vanilla Gelato with Coffee Sauce & Cookie Pieces after routine quality testing found Listeria monocytogenes in a lab sample. No illnesses have been reported. The recall notice was posted by FDA on October 17.
The best-by date on this gelato is March 26, 2028. It was sold for nearly three months. It is almost certainly still sitting in home freezers.
The recalled product is the 16 fl oz (1 pint) Gelatelli Coffee & Vanilla Gelato with Coffee Sauce & Cookie Pieces, packed in a clear plastic container with a brown lid. Look for UPC 4 0564897 22458, Lot 085261, and Best By MAR/26/2028, printed on the bottom of the container. It was sold from July 19 through October 15, 2026, at all Lidl US stores in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.
Freezing does not kill Listeria.
People tend to think of ice cream as a low-risk food because it is frozen. It is not. Freezing stops Listeria from growing, but it does not kill it. The bacteria survive in the freezer and are still there when the pint comes out and gets scooped, softened and eaten. Unlike most foodborne pathogens, Listeria also grows at refrigerator temperatures, which is why it keeps turning up in dairy plants, in drains, on equipment and in finished product.
We have seen this before. The 2015 Blue Bell Creameries outbreak sickened ten people, all hospitalized, and three died in Kansas. In 2023, Real Kosher Ice Cream (Peachy’s) products were recalled as FDA investigated a Listeria outbreak tied to ice cream. Frozen desserts are often served to exactly the people most at risk—the elderly, hospital and nursing home patients, and pregnant women.
What the notice does not say.
The notice does not say who manufactured the gelato for Lidl, how many pints were in Lot 085261, or how many were sold. It does not say whether follow-up environmental testing was done at the plant, or whether other Gelatelli flavors or other products were made on the same line. Lidl says the problem was found through “routine quality testing” of a lab sample—good that it was caught, but the gap between a July 19 ship date and an October 16 recall is three months of product in the hands of consumers. Coverage of the recall cited the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission rather than FDA, but the product is a food and the notice is posted on FDA’s recall page.
Listeria symptoms and who is at risk.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may have short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. In pregnant women, Listeriainfection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a life-threatening infection in the newborn—often while the mother has only mild, flu-like symptoms. CDC estimates that Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States.
The incubation period for invasive listeriosis is long—usually one to four weeks, and sometimes as long as 70 days. That means someone who ate this gelato in August could still become ill. If you ate the recalled gelato and develop fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck or confusion, see a doctor and tell them you ate a product recalled for Listeria. Listeriosis is diagnosed by a blood or spinal fluid culture and treated with antibiotics. Pregnant women should call their doctor even with mild symptoms.
What to do with the gelato.
Do not eat it. Throw it away or return it to any Lidl store for a full refund; no receipt is required. Because Listeria survives cold and can spread to other surfaces, wipe down the freezer shelf where the container sat and wash any scoops or utensils that touched it with hot, soapy water. Questions can go to the Lidl US Customer Care Hotline at (844) 747-5435, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Which product is recalled? Gelatelli Coffee & Vanilla Gelato with Coffee Sauce & Cookie Pieces, 16 fl oz, UPC 4 0564897 22458, Lot 085261, Best By MAR/26/2028.
Has anyone been sick? None reported as of October 16, 2026.
What should I watch for after eating it? Fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea, for up to 70 days. Pregnant women should seek medical advice even with mild symptoms.
Listeria: Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Listeria outbreaks. The Listeria lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Listeria and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $850 million for clients. Our Listeria lawyers have litigated Listeria cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, including cantaloupe, cheese, deli meat and ice cream. If you or a family member became ill with a Listeria infection, or even died, after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Listeria attorneys for a free case evaluation at 1-800-884-9840.
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