Here is how the headline reads: “3 Deaths, 5 Illnesses: Listeria Outbreak Linked to Single-Serving Blue Bell Ice Cream,” followed by the first product recall in 108 years.
In my opinion, here is how the headline should read: “3 People Died From Eating Blue Bell Ice Cream.”
As a person that has spent his career in dairy and in the past years as a ice cream consultant, I find this type of situation difficult to imagine in these modern times. People dying from bacteria strains in food from a US manufacturing plant. Here is the article on Blue Bell and the recalled products here.
Why am I disappointed when reading announcements like this, because major manufacturers like Blue Bell, have safety processes and procedures in place to prevent and mitigate strains like Listeria Monocytogenes from entering into products. At this time the FDA is still investigating where the shortcut was, but my guess dirty processing equipment. However don’t blame the equipment, instead look at top management, the plant manager, floor supervisors and overall lack in staff training.
The FDA stated illness onset dates ranged from January 2014 to January 2015. What!! I understand a mistakes on 1 shift, involving 1 batch flavor, but 1 year and 10 products, no way and what I call a colossal disaster. The public may never really hear the full story on why this transpired, but again probably overrun equipment, without a scheduled shutdown for clean up.
With this type over issue I would stay clear of Blue Bell products. One reason, is the response by CEO, Paul Cruse of the Brenham Creamery saying “all products now on store and institution shelves are safe and wholesome”. Why take the risk of purchasing from a company like BB, when clearly the over sight for that length of time could not have been discovered prior to deaths. My guess on lack of cleaning practices, is budget cuts from upstairs, conduct less safety audits, run equipment longer without scheduled cleaning and reduce the level of training. Events like this do not happen by accident and if accidents do happen, they can be caught in a very short time.
The consumer has a many choices when it comes to ice cream brands and flavors. My advice to the consumer, purchase ice cream from a company that is not making lethal decisions.
Contact Darryl if you want to stay out of the news because to a product recall.
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