From candy apples to Sabra’s hummus — and now Blue Bell? These products have all been recalled within the past year due to concerns of listeria infection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), however, Blue Bell’s ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and other products have shown traces of listeria dating back to 2010. Hopefully you’ve been lucky and avoided this brand in the last few years.
The company has now recalled all of its products sold in 23 states, as of Monday, April 20. As you might have seen in my blog post about listeria in candy apples back in December, this bacteria can become a serious infection and even fatal in young children, elderly and those with weak immune systems.
According to CNN, three people in Kansas have died in the past year and 10 people in four states have fallen ill from the bacteria believed to have come from Blue Bell products. Those who became sick were in Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Unfortunately, the origin of this bacteria in products is still unknown, but Blue Bell is assuming the bacteria has been lurking in their factory for some time. The bacteria could live for years on surfaces such as drains or pipes.
The company has publicly apologized and said they’re putting new safety measures in place, along with extensive cleaning methods and sanitizing equipment.