Blue Bell Creameries has decided to pull all of its products off the shelves in the 23 states where it has a presence. The move comes as fears of Listeria contamination grow.
The Texas-based company said Tuesday it is voluntarily recalling?ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and other frozen treats because they could be contaminated with Listeria. So far, three people have died and five others have fallen ill as a result of bacteria that may have come from Blue Bell products.
CEO and President Paul Kruse issued a statement in which he apologized to the public:
“We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers,?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 bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious,?sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. It has also caused?miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women. Symptoms include?fever, muscle aches, and a stiff neck.
Blue Bell also said in a statement that they felt the total recall was necessary:
“This means Blue Bell has now had several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants.?At this point, we cannot say with certainty how Listeria was introduced to our facilities, and so we have taken this unprecedented step.”
So far, Blue Bell has documented five cases of Listeria in Kansas and three cases in Texas. The company said it will take several steps to prevent a recurrence of the bacteria, including?more extensive sanitizing of equipment, increasing the swabbing and testing of surfaces at their facilities, providing more employee training, and sending samples to a lab daily for testing.
