The Nation - News from July 6, 1986

The number of people who reported getting sick after eating possibly contaminated Polar B’ar ice cream bars grew to 40, but federal officials said no illness has been positively linked to the treats. Kraft Inc. shut its Polar B’ar plant in Richmond, Va., after a batch of ice cream was found to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Because the bacteria do not multiply when frozen, there is little risk of infection, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. People in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and North Carolina reported flu-like symptoms after eating the product.