Blue Bell Ice Cream Recalled For A Scary Reason

If you've bought any Blue Bell ice cream products in the last year or two, step away from the freezer. I know, I know, it's the end of the week and your Netflix is patiently waiting, but hear me out. On Friday, the FDA recalled several Blue Bell ice cream products by maker Blue Bell Creameries; the products are suspected of infecting five people with listeria. Three of the five adults infected died. All five had been treated at the same hospital in Kansas, and the FDA has confirmed that four of the five were definitively served Blue Bell products while there.

The recalled products have a shelf life of up to two years, and the first of the five listeria patients was infected in January 2014, the FDA said — so if you have any ice cream hanging out at the back of your freezer, no matter how long it's been there, check it out and ensure it's not these Blue Bell products. (Listeria can grow in your fridge, and even in your freezer.)

It's suspected that all the contaminated products come from a Blue Bell Creameries plant in Brenham, Texas, but it's not clear that every patient was infected with products from that plant; the Kansas hospital may have received products from other Blue Bell facilities, the FDA wrote on its website. Regardless, Blue Bell has temporarily shut down the plant.

The products affected are:

• Chocolate Chip Country Cookie
• Scoops
• Vanilla Stick Slices
• Almond Bar
• No Sugar Added Mooo Bar
• Great Divide Bar
• Sour Pop Green Apple Bar
• Cotton Candy Bar

Normal Mooo bars haven't been recalled. On its website, Blue Bell writes:

For the first time in 108 years, Blue Bell announces a product recall.

One of our machines produced a limited amount of frozen snacks with a potential listeria problem.

When this was detected all products produced by this machine were withdrawn. Our Blue Bell team members recovered all involved products in stores and storage.

This withdrawal in no way includes our half gallons, quarts, pints, cups, three gallon ice cream or take-home frozen snack novelties.

Images: Blue Bell