Blue Bell Creameries Recalling Ice Cream Line For Listeria Bacteria

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Blue_bell_logoAccording to CNN, Blue Bell Creameries, which is headquartered in Brenham, Texas and with an office at at 7480 Southlake Pkwy, Jonesboro, Georgia, is recalling its entire line of ice cream due to problems with traces of listeria bacteria found in its products. Blue Bell Creameries pulled all its products came after tests showed some half-gallon containers of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream contained listeria. (If you have questions, the Consumer Contact number is: 1-866-608-3940.)

This constant drip of bad news of five cases of listeriosis in Kansas and three cases in Texas over the last year started the investigation process, as did the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s claim that three people died in the space of the last year, possibly due to Blue Bell Creameries products. “This means Blue Bell has now had several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants,” the company said.

Blue Bell Creameries products are distributed in 23 states including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina and parts of Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming.

So, in other words, Blue Bell Creameries has infected the South.

This is the full Blue Bell press release:

 

BLUE BELL CREAMERIES VOLUNTARILY EXPANDS RECALL TO INCLUDE ALL OF ITS PRODUCTS DUE TO POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK
BRENHAM, Texas, April 20, 2015 – Blue Bell Ice Cream of Brenham, Texas, is voluntarily recalling all of its products currently on the market made at all of its facilities including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and frozen snacks because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

“We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we can be confident that they are all safe,” said Paul Kruse, Blue Bell CEO and president. “We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers. Our entire history has been about making the very best and highest quality ice cream and we intend to fix this problem. We want enjoying our ice cream to be a source of joy and pleasure, never a cause for concern, so we are committed to getting this right.”

The products being recalled are distributed to retail outlets, including food service accounts, convenience stores and supermarkets in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming and international locations.

Today’s decision was the result of findings from an enhanced sampling program initiated by Blue Bell which revealed that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream half gallons produced on March 17, 2015, and March 27, 2015, contained the bacteria. This means Blue Bell has now had several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants and as previously reported five patients were treated in Kansas and three in Texas after testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

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