Blue Bell Ice Cream Recalling All Products

Blue Bell Ice Cream is taking all of its products off the shelf.

That’s because of a fear of a listeria contamination and an overabundance of caution, the company’s CEO and president said in a news release on Monday.

“We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we are confident that they are all safe,” said Paul Kruse. “We have brought in one of the world’s most respected food safety microbiologists to inspect our plants and systems to help us get to the bottom of this issue.”

“We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers,” Kruse added. “Our entire history has been about making the very best and highest quality ice cream, and we intend to fix this problem.”

According to Blue Bell, further tests in the wake of a listeria contamination thought to be confined to one machine in one room discovered more unfriendly bacteria at the Brenham, TX facility.

“We need to know more to be completely confident that our products are safe for our customers,” Kruse said in the statement.

Listeria can cause an infection marked by fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, but can also prove fatal to children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women infected with Listeria can also miscarry or suffer stillbirths, the FDA said.

On top of the brand-wide recall, Blue Bell is also implementing a new inspection procedure which will hold new products for release until they have been proven to be 100 percent safe, Blue Bell said. The company is continuing to work with outside experts to discover how the bacteria first contaminated their facilities.

Blue Bell urges all consumers to return all their products to their store of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with any concerns or questions should call 1-866-608-3940 Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. CST or go to www.bluebell.com for the most up-to-date information.