“We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we can be confident that they are all safe,” said Paul Kruse, Blue Bell CEO and president. “We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers. Our entire history has been about making the very best and highest quality ice cream and we intend to fix this problem. We want enjoying our ice cream to be a source of joy and pleasure, never a cause for concern, so we are committed to getting this right.”
Due to bacteria found during sample testing back in March and 8 cases of patients being treated for Listeria, Blue Bell is doing everything they can to make sure another case doesn’t happen.
Listeria can be fatal to children and elderly people and cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
TEST AND HOLD
Blue Bell is implementing a procedure called “test and hold” for all products made at all of its manufacturing facilities. This means that all products will be tested first and held for release to the market only after the tests show they are safe. The Broken Arrow facility will remain closed as Blue Bell continues to investigate.
In addition to the “test and hold” system, Blue Bell is implementing additional safety procedures and testing including:
– Expanding our already robust system of daily cleaning and sanitizing of equipment
– Expanding our system of swabbing and testing our plant environment by 800
percent to include more surfaces
– Sending samples daily to a leading microbiology laboratory for testing
– Providing additional employee training
Blue Bell expects to resume distribution soon on a limited basis once it is confident in the safety of its product.
Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information consumers with questions may call 1-866-608-3940 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. CST or go to bluebell.com.
Source: MyFoxHouston
