Friendly’s Ice Cream fans in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania need to check their freezers – a flavor mix-up has triggered an urgent recall over a potentially life-threatening allergen risk.
On Tuesday, Aug. 5, DFA Dairy Brands, LLC announced the recall of 324 cartons of Friendly’s 48 fl. oz. Cookies & Cream ice cream, after realizing the product had been packaged in Vanilla Bean cartons. The problem? The Vanilla Bean label doesn’t list soy and wheat, both present in Cookies & Cream, which could put anyone with those allergies in danger of a serious or even fatal reaction.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted the recall notice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, warning consumers to check for the best-by date of Nov. 26, 2025. Each affected tub came in a Vanilla Bean carton with a Cookies & Cream lid – an easy mistake for shoppers to miss, but one with big consequences for people who rely on ingredient labels to stay safe.
So far, no illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported in connection with the Friendly’s recall, but the FDA urges anyone who bought the product to either return it to the store or throw it away immediately. “Even small amounts of soy or wheat can cause severe allergic responses in sensitive individuals,” the agency stressed in its notice.
This isn’t the only product to land on the FDA’s recall list this week. Just a day before, the agency flagged another recall – 12,000 packages of 10-count Favorite Day Bakery Frosted Sugar Cookies sold at Target locations across the U.S. This time, the problem wasn’t allergens but “foreign material” – specifically wood – found in the cookies. Classified as a Class II recall, it indicates a risk that could cause temporary or medically reversible harm, and in rare cases, serious health consequences.
The recalled cookies were distributed to stores in states including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
While the Favorite Day cookie recall spans far more locations, the Friendly’s Ice Cream incident carries the added risk of allergens – a leading cause of food-related medical emergencies. Food labeling laws exist to protect consumers, but when packaging errors happen, it’s often those with severe allergies who face the biggest danger.
For now, shoppers are urged to double-check their purchases and look closely at both the lid and carton before digging in. If your “Vanilla Bean” tub has a Cookies & Cream lid and that Nov. 26, 2025 best-by date, it’s part of the recall – and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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