JACKSON, Miss.- Blue Bell ice cream has voluntarily recalled all of their products with the fear that they could be contaminated with Listeria, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Mississippi is one of the 23 states that carry Blue Bell products. News Mississippi checked out a few grocery stores, one of them had yellow tape and recall notices on the freezer doors, but all the Blue Bell ice cream was still in the freezer. At another grocery store the shelves were completely empty.
The Mississippi State Department of Health is urging all people to not eat or purchase any Blue Bell products, including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and frozen snacks due to potential contamination of Listeria.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs says illness is not immediate and can occur weeks after exposure. “While we have no cases of Listeria related to Blue Bell products here in Mississippi, it is important to remember if you have consumed the product recently and become ill, consult your healthcare provider at once.”
For more information on the recall and what to with remaining products visit: www.bluebell.com; for more information on listeria visit: www.cdc.gov/listeria/definition.html.
