KS: 3 Kansans die after eating listeria-contaminated Blue Bell ice cream, state says - Blue Bell expands recall to all of its products on the market

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.kansas.com/news/state/article14037434.html


UPDATED: 3 Kansans die after eating listeria-contaminated Blue Bell ice cream, state says
By Roy Wenzl and Kelsey Ryan
The Wichita Eagle
03/13/2015 2:29 PM
03/13/2015 5:21 PM
Three people in Kansas have died and two others became ill from eating Blue Bell ice cream contaminated with listeria, according to the state health department.

Blue Bell CEO Paul Kruse said Friday that Food and Drug Administration investigators think all five victims were patients who ate Blue Bell products at Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita.

?Not good,? Kruse said. ?Everybody here feels bad about this.?

On Friday, the FDA warned consumers not to eat 10 types of novelty products made by Blue Bell Creameries. The products have been pulled from store shelves, but may still be in home freezers.

Cups, pints and half gallon containers of Blue Bell ice cream are not involved...

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Illnesses Prompt Advisory About Certain Blue Bell Products

News Release
March 13, 2015

The FDA today issued a consumer advisory about certain Blue Bell ice cream products made in Texas. The notice was issued after several confirmed cases of Listeriosis in Kansas were linked to products made on a single production line at the Blue Bell Creameries plant in Brenham.

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

• 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)

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

Recent laboratory tests of three ice cream products from the Brenham production line ? Country Cookie, Great Divide and Scoops ? indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe illness. The company is calling back additional ice cream items because they were made on the same production line.

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.

Listeriosis is required to be reported in Texas. No Texas cases have been reported in connection to any Blue Bell products. In 2014, Texas had 19 confirmed cases of Listeriosis. Texas has had two reported cases so far this year.

Blue Bell, headquartered in Brenham, has been licensed in Texas as a frozen dessert manufacturer since 1981, when the state enacted the frozen dessert licensing requirement. Texas inspects these facility types monthly. No enforcement action has been taken against the facility, and it is operating in compliance with food safety laws.

Texas continues to work closely with the FDA and with Blue Bell Creameries to gather additional information and ensure the items have been removed from stores.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbr.../ucm438104.htm


http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/20150313.aspx

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For the first time in 108 years, Blue Bell announces a product recall.
One of our machines produced a limited amount of frozen snacks with a potential listeria problem.
When this was detected all products produced by this machine were withdrawn. Our Blue Bell team members recovered all involved products in stores and storage.
...

http://cdn.bluebell.com/BB_withdrawal

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Updated March 23, 2015

Media Contact: Gene Grabowski, 202-270-6560

BLUE BELL ICE CREAM RECALLS 3 OZ. INSTITUTIONAL/FOOD SERVICE ICE CREAM CUPS ? CHOCOLATE, STRAWBERRY, VANILLA (TAB LID) ? BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

Blue Bell Ice Cream of Brenham, Texas, is recalling three 3 oz. institutional/food service ice cream cups- chocolate, strawberry and vanilla with tab lids 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 headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
On March 22, the Kansas Department of Health & Environment reported one positive test for Listeria monocytogenes on a chocolate institutional/food service cup recovered from a hospital in Wichita, Kan. This cup was produced in the Broken Arrow, Okla., plant on April 15, 2014. These cups are not sold thru retail outlets such as convenience stores and supermarkets.

The ice cream cups listed below were distributed 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 and Wyoming via food service accounts.

Ice Cream Cup Chocolate (3 FL OZ) No UPC - SKU #453
Ice Cream Cup Strawberry (3 FL OZ) No UPC - SKU #452
Ice Cream Cup Vanilla (3 FL OZ) No UPC ? SKU #451

There have been no reported illnesses to date.

This recall in no way includes Blue Bell Ice Cream half gallons, pints, quarts, 3 gallons or other 3 oz. cups.

Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information consumers with questions may call 979-836-7977, Monday ? Friday 8 a.m. ? 5 p.m. CST.




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Updated March 23, 2015
Contact:
Consumer:
979-836-7977

BLUE BELL ICE CREAMRECALLS FROZEN SNACK ITEMS BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

Blue Bell Ice Cream of Brenham, Texas, is recalling 10 frozen snack items 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 headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea,Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Blue Bell continues to work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in order to resolve this issue.

The FDA found Listeria bacteria in samples of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Country Cookies, Great Divide Bars and individually packaged SCOOPS. Seven other products made on the same production line were also recalled: individually packaged Sour Pop Green Apple Bar, Cotton Candy Bar, Almond Bar and Vanilla Stick Slices and 6 pk

Cotton Candy Bars, 6 pk Sour Pop Green Apple Bars and 12 pk NSA Mooo Bars.
Regular Mooo Bars are not included.

The frozen snack items listed below were distributed 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 and Wyoming via select stores and food service accounts.

Chocolate Chip Country Cookie (5.25 FL OZ) UPC 71899-21169
Great Divide Bar (2.75 FL OZ) UPC 71899-21178
Sour Pop Green Apple Bar (2.5 FL OZ) UPC 71899-21208
Cotton Candy Bar (2.5 FL OZ) UPC 71899-21207
SCOOPS (4.0 FL OZ) UPC 71899-00701
Vanilla Stick Slices (4.0 FL OZ) No UPC ? SKU #964
Almond Bar (2.75 FL OZ) UPC 71899-21138
6 pk Cotton Candy Bars (6 - 2.5 FL OZ) UPC 71899-62257
6 pk Sour Pop Green Apple Bars (6 - 2.5 FL OZ) UPC 71899-62258
12 pk NSA Mooo Bars (12 - 2.0 FL OZ) UPC 71899-62305

The FDA reported that there were three deaths to date associated with the recalled products.

?We are devastated and know that Blue Bell has to be and can be better than this,? said Paul Kruse, Blue Bell CEO and president. ?Quality and safety have always been our top priorities. We are deeply saddened and concerned for all those who have been affected.?

The recall began as a result of a routine sampling program by the South Carolina Department of Health which revealed the finished product contained the bacteria. These products were immediately removed from all markets in February as a precaution pending final test results. The results were later verified by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Blue Bell ceased all production and distribution of these products.

This recall in no way includes Blue Bell half gallons, quarts, pints, cups, three gallon ice cream or the majority of take-home frozen snack novelties.

Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information consumers with questions may call 979-836-7977, Monday ? Friday 8 a.m. ? 5 p.m. CST or click here.

http://cdn.bluebell.com/BB_withdrawal

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Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Blue Bell Creameries Ice Cream Products
Posted March 24, 2015 5:15 PM ET


Highlights

• Read the Advice to Consumers, Institutions, and Retailers>>
• State and local health officials, CDC, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collaborating to investigate an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections (listeriosis) linked to certain Blue Bell brand ice cream products.
  • Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes.
• Five people infected with one of four strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from Kansas.
  • All five people were hospitalized at the same hospital for unrelated problems before developing invasive listeriosis—a finding that strongly suggests their infections were acquired in the hospital.
  • Three deaths were reported among these five patients.
• Of the four ill people for whom information is available on the foods eaten in the month before Listeria infection, all four consumed milkshakes made with a single-serving Blue Bell brand ice cream product called “Scoops” while they were in the hospital.
• The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s (KDA) laboratory isolated Listeria monocytogenes from a previously unopened, single-serving Blue Bell brand 3 oz. institutional/food service chocolate ice cream cup obtained in March 2015 from the hospital associated with this outbreak.
• On March 23, 2015, Blue Bell Ice Cream of Brenham, Texas, announced a recall of 3 oz. institutional/food service ice cream cups (with tab lids) of the following flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
  • CDC recommends that consumers do not eat recalled products and that institutions and retailers do not sell or serve them.
  • Investigation into whether other products were produced on the same line as the 3 oz. institutional/food service ice cream cups is ongoing, and new information will be provided as it becomes available.
• Listeria monocytogenes was previously isolated from the following Blue Bell brand ice cream products collected from Blue Bell Creameries facilities in Texas, South Carolina, or both in 2015: ice cream Scoops, Chocolate Chip Country Cookie Sandwiches, and Great Divide Bars.
  • Whole genome sequences of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from these ice cream products were highly related to sequences of Listeria strains isolated from four patients in this outbreak.
  • Blue Bell Creameries reported that these products were removed from the market in March 2015. However, contaminated ice cream products may still be in the freezers of consumers, institutions, and retailers.
• CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any products that Blue Bell Creameriesrecalled or removed from the market. A detailed list of products is available on theAdvice page .
• This investigation is ongoing, and new information will be provided as it becomes available.

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreak...-15/index.html

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Company release

Updated April 3, 2015
Consumer Contact: 979-836-7977
Media Contact: Gene Grabowski, 202-270-6560

Public Message to Consumers

Blue Bell Creameries is voluntarily suspending operations at our manufacturing plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. We will then thoroughly inspect the facility for any possible problems that may have led to the contamination of some of our ice cream products in the past few weeks.

We are taking this step out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we are doing everything possible to provide our consumers with safe products and to preserve the trust we have built with them and their families for more than a century.

The Broken Arrow operations will be suspended so that our team of expert consultants can conduct a careful and complete examination to determine the exact cause of the contamination. We have notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of our action and we remain committed to being transparent with that federal agency. Once our investigation is complete and we have made all necessary improvements, it will return to operation.
Our other plants continue to operate and supply our products to retail stores and institutional customers.
...
http://cdn.bluebell.com/BB_withdrawal

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Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Blue Bell Creameries Ice Cream Products

Posted April 3, 2015 07:00 PM ET

Highlights

• Read the Advice to Consumers, Institutions, and Retailers>>
• Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes. People at high risk for listeriosis include pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
• Based on the information CDC has at this time, we recommend that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products made at the Oklahoma production facility and that retailers and institutions do not sell or serve them.
  • Blue Bell brand products made at the Oklahoma production facility can be identified by checking for letters “O,” “P,” “Q,” “R,” “S,” and “T” following the “code date” printed on the bottom of the product package. Learn more on the Advice page .
  • This advice is especially important for people at higher risk for listeriosis, including pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
• Initially, Kansas reported five people infected with one of four strains of Listeria monocytogenes who were all hospitalized at the same hospital for unrelated problems before developing listeriosis.
  • Of the four ill people for whom information is available on the foods eaten in the month before Listeria infection, all four consumed milkshakes made with a single-serving Blue Bell brand ice cream product called “Scoops” while they were in the hospital.
  • Whole genome sequences of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from these ice cream products were highly related to sequences of Listeria isolated from four of the patients. These Blue Bell brand ice cream products were made at the company’s Texas facility.
• Investigators later isolated Listeria monocytogenes from single-serving Blue Bell brand 3 oz. institutional/food service chocolate ice cream cups (not “Scoops”) collected from the Kansas hospital and from the company’s Oklahoma production facility. These isolates were indistinguishable from each other by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The pattern is rare.
  • CDC searched the PulseNet database and identified six patients with listeriosis between 2010 and 2014 who had Listeria isolates with PFGE patterns indistinguishable from those of Listeria isolated from Blue Bell brand 3 oz. institutional/food service chocolate ice cream cups. Investigation to determine whether these illnesses are related to exposure to Blue Bell products is ongoing.
  ...
• http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreak...-15/index.html

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Blue Bell Ice Cream products pulled from Sam's Club, Kroger after contamination concerns

By The Associated Press
on April 06, 2015 at 11:31 AM

DALLAS -- Two other large retailers have decided to pull Blue Bell Ice Cream from their shelves as a precautionary measure after the company announced it was temporarily closing an Oklahoma production plant.

Sam's Club and Kroger have joined H-E-B in halting sales of Blue Bell products. The dairy company based in Brenham, Texas, last month issued a recall after ice cream contaminated with listeriosis was linked to three deaths at a Kansas hospital.

...

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/04/blue_bell_icecream_listeriosis.html

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For Immediate Release
News Media Contact: Gene Grabowski, 202-270-6560
Consumer Contact: 979-836-7977
BLUE BELL CREAMERIES EXPANDS RECALL OF PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN BROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA DUE TO POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK
BRENHAM, Texas, April 7, 2015 ? Blue Bell Creameries is expanding its recall of products that were produced in the Broken Arrow, Okla., plant to include Banana Pudding Ice Cream pints which tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and additional products manufactured on the same line. These items 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 headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea,Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
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, and Wyoming.
No illnesses have been confirmed to date.
On April 3, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries voluntarily suspended operations at its Broken Arrow, Okla., plant to thoroughly inspect the facility due to a 3 oz. institutional/food service chocolate cup that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenesand was immediately withdrawn from all outlets. That product was only available to Blue Bell?s food service and institutional accounts and was recalled along with 3 oz. vanilla and strawberry institutional/food service cups.
On April 4, 2015, out of an abundance of caution, Blue Bell began working with retail outlets to remove all products produced in Broken Arrow, Okla., from their service area. These products are identified with a code date ending in O, P, Q, R, S or T located on the bottom of the carton and they are a part of the voluntary market withdrawal.
On April 7, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified Blue Bell that the Banana Pudding Ice Cream pint tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. This pint was produced in the Broken Arrow, Okla., plant on February 12, 2015. Subsequently Blue Bell is recalling all products made on that one particular production line, from February 12, 2015 ? March 27, 2015. These products were produced on that same line and have a code date ending in either S or T.
Recalled products produced in Oklahoma are identified by the code date on the bottom of the carton.







Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information consumers with questions may call 979-836-7977, Monday ? Friday 8 a.m. ? 5 p.m. CST or go to bluebell.com.


For other recall information click here.

http://cdn.bluebell.com/the_little_c...expands-recall

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Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Blue Bell Creameries Products

Posted April 8, 2015 10:00 PM ET


Highlights

• Read the Advice to Consumers, Institutions, and Retailers>>
• CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products made at the Oklahoma production facility, nor any recalled products, and that retailers and institutions do not serve or sell them. Blue Bell has issued recent recalls of many products. Certain Blue Bell brand ice cream products may be contaminated with Listeriamonocytogenes and can cause illness.
• Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes. People at high risk for listeriosis include pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
• This is a complex and ongoing multistate outbreak of listeriosis occurring over an extended period of several years. Several strains of Listeria monocytogenes are involved in this outbreak. Information indicates that various Blue Bell brand products produced in facilities in Texas and Oklahoma are the source of this outbreak.
• The outbreak consists of two clusters of people infected with several strains of Listeria monocytogenes that were also found in products made at two Blue Bell facilities in Texas and Oklahoma. Eight people with Listeria infections related to this outbreak have been confirmed from two states: Kansas (5) and Texas (3). Three deaths were reported from Kansas.
  • Details about the two clusters are provided below in the April 8, 2015 Case Count Update.
• Recent testing of product samples from the Blue Bell Creameries Oklahoma production facility identified Listeria monocytogenes strains in product sold at retail that were not included in the previous two recalls, including a pint of banana pudding ice cream.
  • On April 3, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries reported that they had voluntarily suspended operations at the Oklahoma production facility.
  • On April 4, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries began working with retailers to remove all products made in the Oklahoma production facility from the market.
  • On April 7, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries announced a third product recall that includes banana pudding ice cream pints and other products made on the same production line in the Oklahoma production facility from February 12, 2015 to March 27, 2015.

April 8, 2015

Case Count Update

This is a complex and ongoing multistate investigation of listeriosis occurring over an extended period. Several strains of Listeria monocytogenes are involved in this outbreak. Information indicates that various Blue Bell brand products produced in facilities in Texas and Oklahoma are the source of this outbreak.

The outbreak consists of two clusters of people infected with several strains of Listeria monocytogenes that were also found in products made at two Blue Bell facilities in Texas and Oklahoma. Eight people with Listeria infections related to this outbreak have been confirmed from two states: Kansas (5) and Texas (3). Three deaths were reported from Kansas.
Cluster 1 consists of five patients reported from Kansas during January 2014 through January 2015 who were all hospitalized at a single hospital for unrelated problems before developing listeriosis. Of the four ill people for whom information is available on the foods eaten in the month before Listeria infection, all consumed milkshakes made at the hospital with a Blue Bell brand ice cream product called “Scoops.” Whole genome sequences ofListeria monocytogenes strains isolated from four of the patients were found to be highly related to sequences of Listeria strains isolated from “Scoops” and two other products made on the same line at the company’s Texas facility. These products were recalled by Blue Bell Creameries on March 13, 2015.

Cluster 2 consists of three patients reported from Texas during 2011 through 2014 who were all hospitalized for unrelated problems before developing listeriosis. Whole genome sequences of their Listeria monocytogenes strains were nearly identical to Listeria strains isolated from ice cream produced at the Blue Bell Creameries’ Oklahoma facility.

Three additional patients with listeriosis during 2010 through 2012 whose isolates have PFGE patterns similar to those of others in the cluster have been identified in the PulseNet database; further molecular laboratory testing is under way to determine whether these illnesses may be related to this outbreak. Results of this testing will be reported once they are available.

Investigation Update

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently isolated Listeria monocytogenes strains from a 1-pint container of Blue Bell brand banana pudding ice cream collected from the company’s Oklahoma production facility. This contaminated product was produced in the same facility but on a different line from the 3 oz. institutional/food service ice cream cups previously recalled.

On April 3, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries reported that they had voluntarily suspended operations at their Oklahoma production facility. On April 7, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries announced a third product recall that included banana pudding ice cream pints and other products made on the same line that were produced between February 12, 2015 and March 27, 2015 at their Oklahoma facility. Further testing of environmental and product samples from Blue Bell Creamery facilities is ongoing.

Blue Bell Creameries previously issued two other recalls. On March 13, 2015, the company removed from the market “Scoops” and other products made on the same line at their Texas facility. On March 23, 2015, the company recalled 3 oz. institutional/food service ice cream cups of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors made at their Oklahoma facility.

CDC continues to recommend that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products made at the Oklahoma production facility (including the recalled products) and that retailers and institutions should not sell or serve them. This advice is particularly important for consumers at higher risk for listeriosis, including pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Learn more on the Advice page.

In addition, CDC continues to recommend that consumers do not eat any products that Blue Bell Creameries recalled.
State and local health officials, CDC, and FDA continue to work closely on this investigation, and new information will be provided on this website as it becomes available.

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreak...-15/index.html

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For Immediate Release

News Media Contact: Joe Robertson, 979-830-9830, media@bluebell.com

Consumer Contact: 1-866-608-3940

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.


“At every step, we have made decisions in the best interest of our customers based on the evidence we had available at the time,” Kruse said. “At this point, we cannot say with certainty how Listeria was introduced to our facilities and so we have taken this unprecedented step. We continue to work with our team of experts to eliminate this problem.”

Blue Bell is implementing a procedure called “test and hold” for all products made at all of its manufacturing facilities. This means that all products will be tested first and held for release to the market only after the tests show they are safe. The Broken Arrow facility will remain closed as Blue Bell continues to investigate. In addition to the “test and hold” system, Blue Bell is implementing additional safety procedures and testing including:

- Expanding our already robust system of daily cleaning and sanitizing of equipment
- Expanding our system of swabbing and testing our plant environment by 800
percent to include more surfaces
- Sending samples daily to a leading microbiology laboratory for testing
- Providing additional employee training

Blue Bell expects to resume distribution soon on a limited basis once it is confident in the safety of its product.
Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information consumers with questions may call 1-866-608-3940 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. CST or go to bluebell.com.

http://cdn.bluebell.com/the_little_c...product-recall

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Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Blue Bell Creameries Products

Posted May 7, 2015 1:00 PM ET

Highlights

• Read the Advice to Consumers, Institutions, and Retailers>>
• Read the Information for Health Professionals>>
• On May 7, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released the findings from recent inspections at the Blue Bell production facilities in Brenham, Texas[PDF 4 pages], Broken Arrow, Oklahoma[PDF - 11 pages], and Sylacauga, Alabama[PDF - 5 pages].
• On April 20, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries voluntarily recalled 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 withListeria monocytogenes. Blue Bell announced this recall after sampling conducted by the company revealed that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream half gallons produced on March 17, 2015 and March 27, 2015 contained the bacteria.
• CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products, and that institutions and retailers do not serve or sell them.
• Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes. People at high risk for listeriosis include pregnant women and their newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
• This is a complex and ongoing multistate outbreak investigation of listeriosis illnesses occurring over several years. Several strains of Listeria monocytogenes are involved in this outbreak. Information indicates that various Blue Bell brand products are the source of this outbreak.
• As of April 21, 2015, a total of ten people with listeriosis related to this outbreak have been confirmed from 4 states: Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3). Three deaths were reported from Kansas.

April 21, 2015

Case Count Update

As of April 21, 2015, a total of ten patients infected with several strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from four states: Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3). Illness onset dates ranged from January 2010 through January 2015. The patients with illness onsets ranging from 2010-2014 were identified through a retrospective review of the PulseNet database for DNA fingerprints that were similar to isolates collected from Blue Bell ice cream samples. Since the last update on April 8, 2015, two additional patients, one each from Arizona and Oklahoma, were confirmed to be a part of the outbreak by whole genome sequencing. All ten (100%) patients were hospitalized. Three deaths were reported from Kansas.
One additional isolate from a patient with listeriosis is undergoing further molecular laboratory testing to determine whether this illness may be related to this outbreak. Results of this testing will be reported once they are available. CDC and state and local public health partners are continuing laboratory surveillance through PulseNet to identify any other ill persons that may be part of this outbreak.
Investigation Update

On April 20, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries voluntarily recalled 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. Blue Bell announced this recall after sampling by the company revealed that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream half gallons produced on March 17, 2015 and March 27, 2015 contained the bacteria. Listeria monocytogenes was previously found in other Blue Bell products. CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products, and that institutions and retailers do not serve or sell them.
State and local health officials, CDC, and FDA continue to work closely on this investigation, and new information will be provided on this website as it becomes available.
...
http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreak...-15/index.html

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Company press releases

Blue Bell Announces Voluntary Agreements with Texas and Oklahoma State Regulatory Agencies as Part of Company Efforts to Ensure the Production of Safe Ice Cream

Brenham, TX – Blue Bell Creameries, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry have entered into voluntary agreements outlining a series of steps and actions Blue Bell will take as part of its efforts to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream products back to market.

The voluntary agreements, signed today, detail certain actions Blue Bell will take to help give the public confidence that when Blue Bell products return to market, they are safe. The actions include rigorous facility cleaning and sanitizing, revised testing protocols, revised production policies and procedures designed to prevent future contamination, and upgraded employee training initiatives. Once the company is ready to resume production, the voluntary agreements also call for a trial production period before ice cream is distributed to consumers.

“We are committed to meeting the high standards and expectations of our customers and our regulatory agencies,” said Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse. “State and federal regulatory agencies play an important role in food safety, and we hope that it will be reassuring to our customers that we are working cooperatively with the states of Texas and Oklahoma in taking the necessary steps to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream back to the market.”

Kruse also noted that Blue Bell will continue to work cooperatively and transparently with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and has entered into discussions with the State of Alabama Department of Public Health regarding a similar voluntary agreement. Discussions on these voluntary agreements began with the State of Texas and then extended to Oklahoma.

The agreements signed today include provisions specific to addressing Listeria, including:
Conducting root cause analyses to identify its potential or actual sources;
Retaining an independent microbiology expert to establish and review controls to prevent the future introduction of Listeria;
Notifying the Texas and Oklahoma state agencies promptly of any presumptive positive test result for Listeria monocytogenes found in ingredients or finished product samples, and providing the state agencies full access to all testing;
Ensuring that the company’s Pathogen Monitoring Program (PMP) for Listeria in the plant environment outlines how the company will respond to presumptive positive tests for Listeria species; and,
Instituting a “test and hold” program to assure that products are safe before they are shipped or sold.

“These detailed agreements will help guide us back to producing the safe, high-quality products that Blue Bell is known for,” Kruse said. “We appreciate the tremendous public support we have received, and we look forward to working with our regulatory agencies and returning to making ice cream as soon as possible.”

The Texas news release and agreement can be found here: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/20150514.aspx

The Oklahoma agreement can be obtained from: Blayne.arthur@ag.ok.gov

http://cdn.bluebell.com/the_little_c...x-ok-agreement
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For Immediate Release May 15, 2015

An Agonizing Decision

Due to the extended timeline required to ensure the highest quality and safety of Blue Bell’s products when the company resumes production, and because supply and distribution will be limited for some time to come, Blue Bell Creameries CEO and President Paul Kruse today announced “the agonizing decision” that the company will have to reduce the size of its work force and take other cost-cutting measures, including furloughs and salary reductions.

“The agonizing decision to lay off hundreds of our great workers and reduce hours and pay for others was the most difficult one I have had to make in my time as Blue Bell’s CEO and President,” Kruse said. “At Blue Bell, our employees are part of our family, and we did everything we could to keep people on our payroll for as long as possible. At the same time, we have an obligation to do what is necessary to bring Blue Bell back and ensure its viability in the future. This is a sad day for all of us at Blue Bell, and for me personally."

The process of cleaning and improving Blue Bell’s four production plants is going to take longer than the company initially anticipated, especially at the main plant in Brenham where major repairs and equipment replacements are expected. There is no firm timeline for when Blue Bell will begin producing ice cream again. When production resumes, it will be limited and phased in over time.

Kruse said the employee actions affect three groups:

Employees who are essential to ongoing operations and cleaning and repair efforts will continue to work but have their pay reduced.

A second group of employees will be placed on partially paid furlough. They will be paid a substantial portion of their current pay, with the expectation that they will return to work as production resumes.

Because there is not a clear timeline for when production will resume, and because supply and distribution will be limited when it does, a third group of employees will be laid off.
Approximately 1,400 employees will be furloughed, and approximately 750 full-time and 700 part-time employees – or 37 percent of the total Blue Bell workforce of 3,900 – will be laid off, Kruse said.

Blue Bell also made the difficult decision to suspend operations and lay off employees at the following distribution centers: Phoenix (2 branches) and Tucson, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City and Wichita, Kansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Las Vegas, Nevada; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; and, Richmond, Virginia.

These decisions were based on the ability to service those locations given the limited production capacity Blue Bell expects when it resumes operations. Distribution centers typically service a 75 mile radius.

Blue Bell executives will be contacting area chambers of commerce to ask for their help for employees who have been laid off, and business owners who may have jobs available are encouraged to contact Blue Bell at 979-830-9831 or at jobs@bluebell.com.

http://cdn.bluebell.com/the_little_c.../may-15-update

[Pathfinder]

Blue Bell and the Very Real Impact of the Food Safety Modernization Act

Posted on May 20, 2015 by FDA Voice
By: Michael R. Taylor

Could the deadly outbreak of illnesses tied to contaminated ice cream have been prevented? It’s an important question, one that is on the minds of many in the wake of the multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes tied to ice cream produced by Blue Bell Creameries.
Above all else, we need to acknowledge the tragic aftermath. Our hearts go out to the friends and family members of the victims – the 10 people who were hospitalized and the three who died.

Our mission in the face of such tragedies is to work to keep them from happening again, first by investigating the cause. If products are found to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes or other pathogens, we work with companies to recall anything that has the potential to cause illness. The FDA joins with other federal agencies, states, and industry, while also communicating directly with consumers — all in an effort to ensure that more people don’t get sick or worse.

But more needs to be done, and more is being done. Congress passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in December 2010 because of outbreaks like this, because of a widespread concern among legislators, consumers and industry about foodborne illnesses that kill thousands each year.

Ultimately, the only way we will achieve the goals that we are focused on—the goals that consumers expect us to achieve, and that industry wants us to reach—is if we have a system in which industry is systematically, every day, putting in place the measures that we know are effective in preventing contamination. And it’s not only a domestic issue; it’s an import issue. We’ve got to build prevention into the food safety system globally.

There’s no magic wand here. This is the most sweeping regulatory overhaul in the agency’s history and we’ve got to work systematically to put the right regulations in place. In the four years since FSMA became the law, we have been actively establishing the regulations that we will be issuing in final form beginning later this year.

For example, the preventive controls for human food rule, if finalized as proposed, would require that companies like Blue Bell have a written food safety plan, based on an analysis of likely hazards, and companies would have to show us that plan during inspections.Listeria monocytogenes is a classic example of a hazard that a company should be controlling. Under the proposed standards, companies would be required to have the right controls in place to minimize hazards and would have to verify that their controls are working.

We have in FSMA not only new, enforceable standards, but much stronger inspection and enforcement tools to make sure the standards are being met, such as access to company records and mandatory recalls –authorities we didn’t have before. Most companies want to do the right thing; many are doing it now. Through this law we want to promote strong food safety cultures and create real accountability throughout the industry.

We see broad support for implementing FSMA throughout our stakeholder community and among many people we talk to in Congress. President Obama’s 2016 request for $109.5 million in new budget authority to implement FSMA is crucial. If we receive that funding, we can move forward to implement this new, modern system in an effective and timely way. If we do not get the funding, we will lose momentum, and implementation will be badly disrupted.

No law can guarantee zero risk, from contaminated ice cream or any other food that has come in contact with a dangerous bacteria or other harmful substance. But FSMA is about providing assurances that the food system is doing everything it can to prevent problems and to provide food in grocery stores and restaurants that is as safe as it possibly can be.

Michael R. Taylor is FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine

http://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/index....rnization-act/

[Pathfinder]

By JIM AXELROD, EMILY RAND CBS NEWS October 13, 2015, 7:13 PM

How investigators cracked the Blue Bell listeria outbreak case

SOUTH CAROLINA -- Three deaths caused by ice cream tainted by bacteria last spring were part of an outbreak that had been going on for years.

In April, Blue Bell Creameries recalled all of its products in 23 states. The ice cream was contaminated with listeria which can be fatal to people who are ill or have compromised immune systems.

In part two of the investigation, investigators show CBS News how the case of the mystery deaths was solved.

When Megan Davis and her team from the South Carolina Department of Health randomly sampled ten products from a local Blue Bell distribution center in January -- the last thing they expected to find was listeria.

"It was unbelievable actually," said Davis. "We never in a million years thought we'd find a positive sample."

Two of the ten samples tested positive, but just to be sure, they went back and collected 30 more.

"All 30 of the samples that we tested, tested positive for listeria," said Davis. "Yes, stunning. A little scary that those products were going to consumers."
...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-investigators-cracked-blue-bell-listeria-outbreak-case/