June 29, 2015 — The Dallas Morning News reports that Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries started withdrawing ice cream products about a month before publicly announcing a recall due to Listeria contamination.
Blue Bell received a positive Listeria test on February 13, but did not recall any products until March 13. In the meantime, the company quietly began “withdrawing” products from the market, including retailers and institutional customers like hospitals.
Normally, product withdrawals are reserved for minor problems. Many experts have pointed out that Listeria is actually an extremely serious problem to find in a food processing facility. Once it gets in, decontaminating the facility is very difficult.
Even small amounts of Listeria monocytogenes in finished products can cause severe illnesses in anyone who eats the product — especially young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems.
Blue Bell did not recall their products until health officials in Kansas reported that five patients at one hospital in Wichita had fallen ill with listeriosis, including three who died. At least 10 illnesses have been confirmed, but there are several more non-confirmed cases.
Blue Bell has been working to decontaminate their four facilities in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Texas. Products still have not returned to store shelves and it is unclear when they will. The company is now facing several lawsuits from people who say they developed food poisoning after eating the ice cream.
Do I have a Blue Bell Ice Cream Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Blue Bell ice cream induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with Listeria, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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