Blue Bell Issues Recall Over Possible Listeria Contamination
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BRENHAM (CBSDFW.COM) - A supplier of cookie dough that Blue Bell Creameries is blaming for possible listeria contamination of some ice cream says the product tested negative for the pathogen before being sent to the Texas-based company.
In a statement Thursday, Iowa-based Aspen Hills said the "positive listeria results were obtained by Blue Bell only after our product had been in their control for almost two months."
Blue Bell has once again recalled ice cream produced in its Sylacauga, Alabama plant because it was made with a chocolate chip cookie dough ingredient that may contain Listeria.
The Texas-based business said the cookie dough was provided by a third party supplier -- Aspen Hills, Inc.
Both Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Blue Bell Cookie Two Step ice creams were recalled.
None of the impacted ice cream is sold in Texas.
"The products can be identified by the code date found on the bottom of the carton," read a statement released from Blue Bell. "The products produced with the chocolate chip cookie dough pieces were distributed in the following 10 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia."
Listeria monocytogenes 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.
The company said there were no reports of illnesses and the recall was done out of an abundance of caution.
In 2015, three deaths were linked to the ice cream, which spurred a massive recall and shut down of Blue Bell.
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