Blue Bell halts operations at OK plant after listeria scare

BROKEN ARROW, Okla., April 3 (UPI) -- Blue Bell Creameries on Friday announced it is temporarily halting operations at a plant in Oklahoma after ice cream products produced there were linked to three listeria deaths.

The ice cream company recalled several of its products -- mostly single-serve ice cream novelties -- in March after five people were sickened with listeria at a Kansas hospital.

Three of the patients died.

A secondary recall of institutional/food service, single-serve ice cream cups took place after a chocolate ice cream cup tested positive for listeria. The ice cream cup was produced at Blue Bell's Broken Arrow plant.

Blue Bell Creameries is voluntarily suspending operations at our manufacturing plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma," the company announced on its website. "We will then thoroughly inspect the facility for any possible problems that may have led to the contamination of some of our ice cream products in the past few weeks.

"The Broken Arrow operations will be suspended so that our team of expert consultants can conduct a careful and complete examination to determine the exact cause of the contamination. We have notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of our action and we remain committed to being transparent with that federal agency.  Once our investigation is complete and we have made all necessary improvements, it will return to operation."

Blue Bell said it would continue to operate its other facilities and distribute products not affected by the recall.

The total recall list includes: Chocolate Chip Country Cookie Sandwiches, Great Divide Bars, Sour Pop Green Apple Bar, Cotton Candy Bar, Vanilla Stick Slices, Almond Bars, six-pack Cotton Candy Bars, six-pack Sour Pop Green Apple Bars, 12-pack No Sugar Added Mooo Bars, and 3-ounce single-serve, institutional/food service ice cream cups in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, all with tab lids.