Sample ties listeria to Blue Bell's Alabama plant

Chron ^ | June 5, 2015 | By Mark Collette

[bob_denard]

Timeline: The Blue Bell listeria outbreak

The year started out strong for the beloved Texas ice cream chain. This year the store announced plans to move into Nevada – its 23rd state – due to popular demand and opened its fifth Houston-area distribution center. But the Brenham, Texas-based ice cream maker has now recalled all products after the brand was tied to a listeria outbreak that killed three in Kansas

A private laboratory has linked a deadly form of listeria to a Blue Bell plant in Alabama, providing the first evidence that all three of the ice cream maker's production facilities distributed contaminated products.

The lab tested the half gallon of Cookies 'n Cream on behalf of Brent McRae, a Florida man recovering from a coma after a suspected bout of meningitis.

McRae was admitted to a hospital in April. His family saved the ice cream in his freezer and sent it to Kappa Laboratories of Miami, which issued the positive results Wednesday. A product code on the bottom of the carton confirms it came from Alabama.

[GeronL]

We need to get Blue Bell back.

[AppyPappy]

Check the i9 status of every employee.

[donna]

Animals can carry Listeria monocytogenes in their intestines without becoming sick. As a result, the bacteria may be spread to meat and dairy products. Listeria monocytogenes is killed by cooking or by other heating methods, such as pasteurization, used to produce ready-to-eat foods. However, ready-to-eat food can become contaminated after processing within the processing plant or along the route from the plant to your plate. Outbreaks of listeriosis are associated with ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented or dry sausage, and other deli-style meat and poultry. In the home, Listeria monocytogenes is destroyed if ready-to-eat foods are reheated to steaming hot.

[CaptainK]

How could a company allow 3 plants to become contaminated?

[donna]

All I think about now days is terrorism.

[itsahoot]

All I think about now days is terrorism.

Logical assumption since we have no clue who is making our foods and it is about to get a lot harder to know.

[Pontiac]

Listeria monocytogenes is destroyed if ready-to-eat foods are reheated to steaming hot.

Most people will not want to do that with their ice cream.

[Pontiac]

Just so everyone can relax.

I had frozen yogurt last night and I’m OK.

[OldMissileer]

Just so everyone can relax.
I had frozen yogurt last night and I’m OK.

I was up all last night worrying about you. Now I can rest. :-)

[Snickering Hound]

We need to get Blue Bell back.

Yup, I'll take my chances if I could just get some Natural Vanilla Bean again.

[JohnnyP]

Have you tried Trader Joe’s French Vanilla?

Can I say it OMGOMG. Besides being excellent in taste, it’s very dense and sticky, and it comes in a full half gallon size for (I think) less than $6.

[GeronL]

homemade vanilla flavor rocks

[donna]

Here is the temporary solution. Blue Bell has the best ice cream but these little Blue Bunny minis are good:

[Pontiac]

Awww…I knew you cared.

I just warms my heart.

I always ignored those guys that said you were a heartless bustard.

[Pontiac]

OBTW

I live near an old NIKE site

Painesville, Ohio

[ConservaTexan]

I’m with you on the Vanilla Bean. I’d take my chances if I could get my hands on a black market half gallon.

[bob_denard]

You have also to follow rules and regulations as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

[smalltownslick]

I hardly ever eat ice cream, but Moo-Llennium Crunch is awesome.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I am missing my Bluebell Great Divide.