The FDA is alerting the public that products containing "cake batter" ice cream sold at Cold Stone Creamery stores throughout the country may be associated with an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection in several states.

The ice cream’s possible contamination with this organism came to light after multiple cases of infection with this form of Salmonella were reported in late May and early June, 2005 in Minnesota, Washington, Oregon and Ohio. Cold Stone Creamery has agreed to immediately remove all "cake batter" ice cream products from its stores throughout the country.

To date, 14 people are ill from this unusual strain of Salmonella. Many of the people reporting this illness also reported consuming "cake batter" ice cream at a Cold Stone Creamery shortly before the onset of their illness.

Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that the "FDA is working with the CDC and our state partners to determine the source of the contaminated product and is issuing this alert to protect the public.”

Salmonella Typhimurium is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in small children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may only suffer short-term symptoms, such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea and long term complications can include arthritis.