A deadly outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to ice cream produced at the Blue Bell facility Brenham, Texas has prompted the recall of several Blue Bell products. Five people at the Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, Kansas were sickened after they ate Blue Bell ice cream and milkshakes made with that ice cream. Three of those people died.
Investigations by public health officials discovered rare strains of Listeria monocytogenes in samples of Blue Bell Creameries single serving Chocolate Chip Country Cookie Sandwich and the Great Divide Bar ice cream products at a Blue Bell South Carolina distribution center in February 2015. These products were manufactured at the Brenham, Texas facility. Inspections at that facility found the outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes in the same products tested in South Carolina, and another product, called Scoops, that was made on the same production line.
Blue Bell has shut down that production line and has recalled ten different products. Public health officials are concerned that consumers have these products in their homes. Listeria bacteria can live and grow at freezer temperatures and are not destroyed by cold. Please examine the contents of your home freezer carefully to see if you have any of these products. These products were sold to the food service industry.
The recalled products are: Chocolate Chip Country Cookie with code SKU #196, Great Divide Bar with SKU #108, Sour Pop Green Apple Bar with SKU #221, Cotton Candy Bar with SKU #216, Scoops with SKU #117, Vanilla Stick Slices with SKU #964, Almond Bars with SKU #156, 6 pack Cotton Candy Bars with SKU #245, 6 pack Sour Pop Green Apple Bars with SKU #249, and 12 pack No Sugar Added Mooo Bars. Do not eat any of these products. If you have them, discard them in a double bagged container or a sealed container, then wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
If any of these products have been in your freezer, you need to disinfect it. Remove everything from the freezer and wipe with a mild bleach solution. Clean the freezer with a mild bleach solution and let dry. Then wash your hands well.
The symptoms of a Listeria monocytogenes infection include muscle aches, fever, stiff neck, diarrhea, upset stomach, and headache. These symptoms unfortunately may not appear until 70 days after you ate the contaminated product. If you ate any of the recalled items and have experienced these symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible. If you ate these products and have not yet become ill, watch yourself for these symptoms for the next two months.
Complications of a Listeria infection an be severe, including Listeria meningitis, which is a life-threatening illness. Pregnant women can suffer serious complications of this infection, even though their symptoms are mild. Listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and serious infection in the newborn baby.
