A government investigation released Thursday revealed a shocking twist on the developing listeria recall story. Blue Bell Creameries was apparently aware of the listeria contamination from as early as March 2013.
Although the company eventually recalled all products in April, the move was too little, too late — Blue Bell’s listeria contamination was linked to three deaths at a Kansas hospital earlier this year.
A report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the company had “strong evidence” of the listeria two years ago. Alison Griswold of Slate writes:
Blue Bell’s tests had turned up a “presumptive positive” for listeria on the floors, storage pallets, and other nonfood surfaces of its Oklahoma plant. In 2014, Blue Bell tests also found that the level of coliform bacteria in products exceeded the maximum allowed by the state of Oklahoma. On top of all that, the FDA said water condensation in the plant had been trickling into the company’s frozen sherbet containers and possibly its ice cream during production. So yeah. Gross.
The positive listeria test in the Oklahoma plant wasn’t a one-time offense, either. AP writer Mary Clare Jalonick writes, “The FDA listed 17 separate positive tests for listeria on equipment from March 2013 through February 2015.”
Food safety expert and Seattle-based attorney Bill Marler told the Houston Chronicle that Blue Bell’s frequent contamination pointed to a “systemic cleaning problem.” “That’s as bad as it gets,” Marler said. “You’re just not doing what you’re supposed to.”
The contamination included more than poorly-cleaned equipment. Jalonick writes, “Violations in the Oklahoma plant include dirty equipment, inadequate food storage, food being held at improper temperatures and employees not washing hands adequately.”
Today, Blue Bell products are nowhere to be found as the company upgrades and cleans its three creameries and re-trains its employees on proper sanitation.
Are these measures enough to win back the trust of ice cream consumers? Comment or tweet me @MNetBridget.
