Ice Cream Invades the Real World

Ice cream has been in the headlines recently, for some very unfortunate reasons.

Blue Bell Creameries is a major ice cream manufacturer in the U.S. It has been dealing with a major recall because of listeria contamination.

According to the CDC, listeria is a serious infection linked to food contaminated with the bacterium listeria monocytogenes. The CDC goes onto say the infection primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and people with compromised immune systems.

Listeria symptoms include fever and muscle aches and gastrointestinal issues.

One report says an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill in the U.S. each year because of listeria infection.

This is the crisis confronting Blue Bell Creameries. The company has already issued a huge recall of ice cream products after containers of banana pudding ice cream tested positive for listeriosis.

Blue Bell Creameries is based in Texas. Operations have been suspended at the Oklahoma plant following the discovery of listeria at the plant.

The recall was issued after contaminated ice cream was linked to three deaths at a hospital in Kansas. The illness was tracked to a production line in Texas and then to a second line in Oklahoma.

The impact of this discovery and recall is being felt in a wide range of areas. Concessions at two Major League Baseball parks are being impacted. The Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros announced Blue Bell Ice Cream products will not be available during the first homestands of the season.

It’s frightening anytime something like this happens. Hopefully, this will not deter people from enjoying their favorite ice cream treats. Ice cream, made with the best ingredients, is still a wonderful treat for family and friends.