SAN ANTONIO — Texas grocery chain H-E-B is pulling Blue Bell Ice Cream from shelves as a precaution after a recall of some of the ice cream maker’s products that were connected to three deaths in Kansas.
H-E-B, with more than 300 stores in Texas and northern Mexico, said the decision Saturday was a “precautionary measure due to food safety concerns.” The chain said it was working with Brenham, Texas-based Blue Bell to refill the stocks.
Blue Bell spokesman Gene Grabowski said the company respected and understood the action. Blue Bell on Friday suspended operations at its Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, plant that officials previously had connected to contaminated ice cream. The company recalled products there and at a Texas plant that’s been linked to a foodborne illness connected to three deaths.
TPR adds: From http://cdn.bluebell.com/BB_withdrawal
Public Message to Consumers
Blue Bell Creameries is voluntarily suspending operations at our manufacturing plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. We will then thoroughly inspect the facility for any possible problems that may have led to the contamination of some of our ice cream products in the past few weeks.
We are taking this step out of an abundance of caution to ensure that we are doing everything possible to provide our consumers with safe products and to preserve the trust we have built with them and their families for more than a century.
