US ice cream maker Blue Bell Creameries has issued its first recall in over 100 years after three deaths were reported as a result of a listeria outbreak linked to its products.
According to the CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, five patients who were treated in a single hospital in Kansas were infected with "one of four rare strains of Listeria monocytogenes". Three of the strains were found in products manufactured at the Blue Bell Creameries production facility in Brenham, Texas.
Hospital records available for four patients show that all were served ice cream from Blue Bell Creameries’ prepackaged, single-serving products and milkshakes made from these products.
Blue Bell Creameries said it had removed ten products from the market.
"One of our machines produced a limited amount of frozen snacks with a potential listeria problem. When this was detected all products produced by this machine were withdrawn. Our Blue Bell team members recovered all involved products in stores and storage," a statement on Blue Bell's website read.
"This withdrawal in no way includes our half gallons, quarts, pints, cups, three gallon ice cream or the majority of take-home frozen snack novelties."
