CDC Issues Rare Recall: Says Do Not Eat Any Blue Bell Products Made In Oklahoma, Plant Closes

Blue Bell recently recalled a number of items after a Listeria outbreak involving their ice cream products. However, on Friday evening, the CDC issued a rare recall that informed consumers not to eat any Blue Bell product made in the Oklahoma facility. Keep reading to learn how to determine if your Blue Bell product has been affected by the recall.

The CDC released a strong warning against consuming any Blue Bell product manufactured in Oklahoma. The original Blue Bell recall, the first in the company’s history, was issued after four people became sick with Listeriosis after eating Blue Bell products in a hospital. However, a new warning was issued in regards to the general public’s consumption of the product. CDC researchers say that health data shows earlier cases of Listeriosis outside the hospital that also involved Blue Bell ice cream, but at the time could not pinpoint Blue Bell as the cause. However, with the recent cases linked to Blue Bell, some of those older cases could have been from Blue Bell products as well, as they had the same genetic footprint at the bacterial culprit in the hospital cases.

Blue Bell has taken the recall very seriously and has shut down their Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, plant until they can determine where the contamination may have occurred. The plant closed Friday and will remain closed until further notice. The CDC has issued a warning that all Blue Bell products made in the Oklahoma plant should be discarded and that all stores should pull the products from their shelves. So how do you know if you product was made in Oklahoma?

The CDC says that Blue Bell brand products made at the Oklahoma facility can be identified by checking for letters “O,” “P,” “Q,” “R,” “S,” and “T” following the “code date” printed on the bottom of the product package. For example, if a Blue Bell product is labeled “021217S,” it was produced at the Oklahoma facility because the letter “S” follows the “code date.”

In addition to the products made at the Oklahoma facility, any of the following products should also be discarded.

• SKU# 453
• SKU# 452
• SKU# 451
• SKU# 196 (UPC 71899-21169)
• SKU# 108 (UPC 71899-21178)
• SKU# 221 (UPC 71899-21208)
• SKU# 216 (UPC 71899-21207)
• SKU# 117 (UPC 71899-00701)
• SKU# 964
• SKU# 156 (UPC 71899-21138)
• SKU# 245 (UPC 71899-62257)
• SKU# 245 (UPC 71899-62258)
• SKU# 343 (UPC 71899-62305)

To read the full recall go to the CDC website under Blue Bell recall.

[Image Credit: Blue Bell]