BRADES – Blue Bell, a popular ice cream brand sold on Montserrat is being recalled by the manufacturer and consumers should not purchase or eat it.
Blue Bell Creameries of Brenham, Texas announced on April 20, 2015, a total recall of all of its products currently on the market because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Samples taken by the firm showed the presence of Listeria monocytogenesin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream half gallons produced on March 17 and March 27, 2015.
Blue Bell ice cream can be found in most of the larger supermarkets on island and residents should ensure that they do not buy them as they are also included in the recall. This recall includes ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and frozen snacks made at all Blue Bell facilities. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently has open investigations at Blue Bell facilities in Brenham, in Broken Arrow, Oklahaoma and in Sylacauga, Alabama.
According to Blue Bell, the products being recalled are distributed to retail outlets, including food service accounts, convenience stores and supermarkets across the United States and international locations.
Consumers should not eat any of the recalled products. If these products are in your freezer, they should be thrown away or returned, even if some of them have been eaten without anyone becoming ill.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that as of April 20, 2015, a total of ten patients infected with several strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from four states: Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3). Illness onset dates ranged from January 2010 through January 2015. All ten patients were hospitalized. Three deaths were reported from Kansas within the last year. Three strains associated with these case patients have been identified in products manufactured at either the Blue Bell production facility in Broken Arrow, Okla, or Brehnam, Texas.
Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Anyone who experiences fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, or develops fever and chills after eating the ice cream should seek medical care and tell their health care provider about any history of eating the ice cream. Symptoms can appear from a few days up to a few weeks after consumption of the contaminated food.
Listeriosis can be fatal, especially in certain high-risk groups. These groups include the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems and certain chronic medical conditions (such as cancer). In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and serious illness or death in newborn babies.
