Food safety
Recall woes continue to plague Blue Bell ice cream
Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling select products produced in its Alabama plant made with a chocolate chip cookie dough ingredient.
Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling select products produced in its Sylacauga, Alabama, plant because they were made with a chocolate chip cookie dough ingredient supplied by a third party supplier Aspen Hills, Inc., due to the potential for it to contain Listeria monocytogenes.
In 2015, Blue Bell Creameries of Brenham, Texas, recalled all of its products because of the presence of listeria, shut down its factories in Brenham, Broken Arrow, Okla., and Sylacauga, Ala., for cleaning, laid off 1,450 employees and furloughed 1,400 others. Today, the ice cream maker announced another recall.
Following is an announcement from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration:
Brenham, TX - Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling select products produced in its Sylacauga, Alabama, plant because they were made with a chocolate chip cookie dough ingredient supplied by a third party supplier Aspen Hills, Inc., due to the potential for it to contain Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes 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 headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
This recall covers the following products.
Blue Bell Ice Cream Half Gallons:Code Dates
Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough082618226
Blue Bell Cookie Two Step080418222, 081818224
Blue Bell Ice Cream Pints:Code Dates
Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough081518242, 082418242
The products can be identified by the code date found on the bottom of the carton. The products produced with the chocolate chip cookie dough pieces were distributed in the following ten states Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
No illnesses have been reported to date. Blue Bell identified a potential problem through intensified internal testing and notified Aspen Hills. Aspen Hills then issued a voluntary recall of the products supplied to Blue Bell. Although our products in the marketplace have passed our test and hold program, which requires that finished product samples test negative for Listeria monocytogenes, Blue Bell is initiating this recall out of an abundance of caution. This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the FDA.
Consumers should not eat the recalled products and are encouraged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
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