Highlights
- Read the Advice to Consumers, Institutions, and Retailers>>(http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/ice-cream-03-15/advice-consumers.html)
- Listeriosis is a life-threatening infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium (germ) Listeria monocytogenes. People at high risk for listeriosis include pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
- CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products made at the Oklahoma production facility, nor any recalled products, and that retailers and institutions not serve or sell them. Blue Bell has issued recent recalls of many products.
- This is a complex and ongoing multistate outbreak of listeriosis occurring over an extended period. The outbreak now consists of two clusters involving people infected with outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes; eight people are reported from Kansas (5) and Texas (3).
- Details about the two clusters are provided below in the April 8, 2015 Case Count Update.
- Recent testing of product samples from the Blue Bell Creameries Oklahoma production facility identified Listeria monocytogenes strains in product sold at retail that were not included in the previous two recalls(http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/ice-cream-03-15/advice-consumers.html), including a pint of banana pudding ice cream.
- On April 3, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries reported that they had voluntarily suspended operations at the Oklahoma production facility.
- On April 4, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries began working with retailers to remove all products made in the Oklahoma production facility from the market.
- On April 7, 2015, Blue Bell Creameries announced a third product recall that includes banana pudding ice cream pints and other products made on the same production line in the Oklahoma production facility from February 12, 2015 to March 27, 2015.
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