BLUE BELL CREAMERIES ISSUES RECALL AFTER DEADLY LISTERIA OUTBREAK

  

The FDA has sent out an advisory for certain Blue Bell ice cream products made in Brenham that may be linked to several confirmed cases of listeriosis, and may be the cause of three deaths.

All five patients ate the ice cream while being treated at a hospital in Kansas between January 2014 and January 2015, with the products coming from a single production line at the Blue Bell plant in Brenham. Three of the patients died.

Records for four of the patients show they all consumed milkshakes made with a single-serve Blue Bell ice cream product called "Scoops" about a month before becoming affected, according to the CDC.

No one had suspected the source of the infection came from the ice cream until is was noted that four strains of listeria monocytogenes were found in Blue Bell products by the South Carolina Health Department last month.

The Texas Department of Health was notified, and product samples were collected from the Brenham plant that turned up listeria monocytogenes.

The FDA then notified other health departments in other states.

The Kansas Department of Health investigated and learned that records for four of the five listeriosis patients show that the one thing they all had in common is that they were all served Blue Bell products while in the hospital

The affected products include the following novelty items.

•Chocolate Chip Country Cookie

•Great Divide Bar

•Sour Pop Green Apple Bar

•Cotton Candy Bar

•Scoops

•Vanilla Stick Slices

•Almond Bar

•No Sugar Added Mooo Bar (regular Mooo Bars are not included)

Blue Bell has stopped production and distribution of ice cream products from the production line and has removed them from stores and any other retail outlets. The advisory does not include Blue Bell cups, pints or half gallons.

Blue Bell President and CEO Paul Kruse said the company removed 10 products from the market by picking them up from hospitals and food service outlets where it is sold. This marks the first recall for the iconic Texas company's 108 year history, and which sells its products in 23 states and is ranked as the third highest-selling brand of ice cream in the country, according to the Blue Bell website.

Consumers are advised to not eat these items and should discard any of these products they may have in their freezers.

Symptoms of Listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and vomiting. People with these symptoms should consult a physician. Symptoms typically occur three to 70 days after exposure. The disease affects primarily older people, pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.

In 2014, there were 19 cases of listeriosis in Texas, and two so far in 2015, with none so far being linked to ice cream.

The investigations continues

 

 

 

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4 Comments

  1. This doesn’t change my views of the best ice cream in the country…think I will have a bowl now.

  2. My wife worked at Blue Belle 20+ years. I used to visit her at lunch sometimes. I’ve seen every piece of equipment they have, even the 40° below zero vault that they use to freeze it after the product is finished. How in the world can anything survive that freezer? The Kruse’s and Blue Belle have an excellent reputation, they give until it hurts to their community. The thing that concerns me is some hot-shot lawyer is going to get a “Class Action” law suit togrther and everybody dog piling on. Blue Belle doesn’t deserve that.

  3. BlueBell has always made a good product, but they changed their model when they started adding other things to their ice-cream and that seem to have gotten out of hand, get back to basics and make ice-cream and drop all the other stuff.

  4. The blame is going on Blue Bell but how do we know the bacteria didn’t come from an ingredient purchased elsewhere but used at Blue Bell. It’s just one of those freak things that has happened. 108 years of no other incidents. We can pick up God knows what just going to the store!! Everyone is quick to point a finger! I HEART BLUE BELL regardless … Just saying

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