Blue Bell Oklahoma ice cream plant has announced on Friday its temporary closure after three Listeria deaths have been linked to its products. The company declared the decision on its official website that does not specify until when their Blue Bell Oklahoma ice cream plant will be opened again for operation.
The decision of the Blue Bell Oklahoma comes after they had recalled several single-serve ice cream products in March when five people were reported to be ill. Three people died out of the five people confined in Kansas hospital, the UPI reported.
"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 company said in a statement.
After the Blue Bell Oklahoma recall, Blue Bell's Broken Arrow plant announced its recall of its single-serve ice cream cups, which were also linked to Listeria scare. The recall happened last month after finding that their 3-ounce cup of ice cream was Listeria contaminated, the USA Today reported.
The ice cream cups including chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavor were put on hold and not sold in groceries and other retail stores. The products were then distributed to the institutional hospitals.
Blue Bell Oklahoma ice cream plant closure started when five patients at the Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita, Kansas was diagnosed with Listeriosis from December 2013 to January 2015. It was determined by health officials that patients consumed milkshakes containing Blue Bell ice cream.
Three patients died.
Listeria is caused by the bacteria present in poultry and cattle, and can also be found in soil and water. It can also be detected in milk and milk products, processed meats and other processed foods. It can contaminate deli meats and hotdogs, meat spreads, unpasteurized (raw) milk and dairy products, cheese and smoked seafoods, according to Food Safety.
The voluntary closure of Blue Bell Oklahoma ice cream plant comes as the company's effort to address the issue. The company stated that their team of consultants is working towards determining the exact cause of the contamination.
The Blue Bell Oklahoma branch also assured that they will continue to be open with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Aside from the single-served 3-ounce ice cream cups, the Blue Bell Oklahoma plant has recalled the following products:
Chocolate Chip Country Cookie Sandwiches, six-pack Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, Cotton Candy Bar, Vanilla Stick Slices, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bar, Almond Bars, six-pack Cotton Candy Bars, and 12-pack No Sugar Added Mooo Bars.
