The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has closed its investigation into the listeriosis outbreak linked to Blue Bell Creameries, with the ice cream maker in the middle of "reassessing everything" about its operations.
The CDC has declared the investigation into the outbreak – which was linked to 10 cases of sickness and three deaths – over.
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However, the agency has said warned consumers could still fall if they eat products that may be still sat in freezers.
The outbreak led Blue Bell to closed three production sites and recall all products from the marketplace. Last month, it announced around 1,400 staff would be laid off.
Blue Bell has handed the US Food and Drug Administration a list of "corrective actions" it says are underway in response to the agency’s inspection reports of its plants in Texas, Oklahoma and Sylacauga.
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The company said it is in the process of "comprehensively reviewing all aspects of operations" at the three facilities. It said it is "reassessing everything" about its operations and working to identify "a number of enhancements that will be made, including updated environmental and product testing procedures".
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By GlobalData"We hope our efforts demonstrate the seriousness with which we are taking this situation, as well as our commitment to making sure we get this right," CEO and president Paul Kruse said. "We are committed to seeing this plan through and to working with the FDA each step of the way. Once Blue Bell, the FDA and the applicable state regulators agree we are ready to reintroduce products into commerce, we plan to resume production with a phased-in selection of flavours and sizes, expanding only after our revised programmes have demonstrated they are capable of ensuring product safety."
Listeria was found in ice cream made at the sites in Texas and Oklahoma. Last week, it emerged a private lab has evidence there was listeria in ice cream made at the plant in Alabama.
A man in Florida who had eaten Blue Bell ice cream from a carton that indicated the product was made in Alabama fell ill with meningitis in April, his Seattle-based lawyer Bill Marler told just-food. Marler said a test by Kappa Laboratories showed it tested positive for listeria.
Blue Bell said it was unable to comment on the claims "because this situation may involve litigation".
