Recent information released by Blue Bell Creameries relating to the cause of the Listeria contamination in some of its ice cream products has a familiar ring to it—improperly maintained equipment contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. “One of our machines produced a limited amount of frozen snacks with a potential Listeria problem,” said a Blue Bell March 13, 2015 press release. According to an Associated Press report, the affected machine was an extruder that forms the ice cream into certain shapes for specific products. This was the first time in the company’s 108-year history that it issued a recall, which was based on five patients over 12 months or more becoming sick and/or dying at a Kansas hospital.
Approximately four years ago, Jensen Farms’ cantaloupes caused a major outbreak of Listeriosis, sickening 146 people in 28 states and killing 28. According to FDA, causes for this spread of Listeria (among other facility issues) included packing equipment that was not easily cleaned and sanitized, and washing/drying equipment that was not designed for cantaloupes, but another raw agricultural commodity. In addition, there was no pre-cooling step to remove field heat from the melons before cold storage.