Blue Bell Creameries, a maker of premium ice cream headquartered in Brenham, Texas, has issued a newly expanded list of recalled items that are made at its Broken Arrow, Oklahoma plant. The plant was previously linked to the illness of five hospitalized individuals, three of whom subsequently died. The new recall includes Banana Pudding Ice Cream that comes in pints, following testing that has confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in that particular flavor, as well as a number of other ice cream flavors that are manufactured on the same production line. The locations that received product from Broken Arrow include commercial food service accounts and retail outlets 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.
Production at Broken Arrow Stopped
The company decided to stop all production at its Broken Arrow facility on April 3rd after a 3oz. institutional use chocolate cup tested positive for Listeria. According to Blue Bell, that particular 3 oz product was only distributed in institutional settings – in addition to the chocolate, all vanilla and strawberry institutional/food service cups were also recalled. The very next day, on April 4, 2015, in light of the recall and due to concerns for public safety, Blue Bell temporarily stopped all production at the Broken Arrow facility. They also began to “remove from the service area” at retail establishments all the ice cream that had been made at the Broken Arrow facility. This included ice cream with a code date ending in O, P, Q, R, S or T located on the bottom of the carton.
Then, on April 7, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Blue Bell Creameries that it had identified Listeria in a pint of Banana Pudding Ice Cream that had been made at the Broken Arrow facility on February 12, 2015. This finding has forced Blue Bell to issue a recall of all ice cream made on that production line between February 12th and March 27th, 2015. This included ice cream with a code date ending in S or T, which is located on the bottom of the carton.
At present, it remains unclear how many of the Broken Arrow ice creams will be recalled (other than S,T products), how many are still subject to “removal” for service areas, and when production at the Broken Arrow facility will recommence.
Listeria lawyer: “Listeria is one of the most dangerous food borne pathogens”
According to Listeria Lawyer Ron Simon, Listeriosis is dangerous, and even in relatively healthy people causes high fever, headaches that are often very severe, body stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. In the elderly and very young, it can be life threatening. But Listeria monocytogenes is also very dangerous for pregnant women. It is one of the few food borne pathogens that are linked to miscarriages and stillbirths.
“I have been receiving calls from many people,” says Listeria Lawyer Ron Simon, “including those who were pregnant and experienced complications. Many others are calling in because they experience many of the symptoms of Listeriosis. All of them claim to have eaten Blue Bell ice cream.”
Listeria lawyer Ron Simon encourages those who believe they have been exposed to Listeria in Blue Bell ice cream, and thereafter experience the side-effects of Listeriosis, to seek medical attention and talk to their physician about being tested for Listeria. If you are diagnosed with Listeria poisoning, you can call to discuss your legal rights with a lawyer at Ron Simon & Associates at 1-888-335-4901.
