Everyone loves ice cream. And what’s not to like? The sweet, frozen confection has been a staple for many American families for decades. One of the most popular flavors of ice cream involves the use of raw cookie dough; the precursor used by bakers to create another dessert staple. Unfortunately, however, one company’s cookie dough, that has been used to make several types of ice cream, may make those who eat it sick.
Blue Bell and Blue Bunny brand ice cream has issued recall for several of its flavors. The reason is that it is feared that some of the cookie dough used in these types of ice cream may contain Listeria bacteria. Listeria can cause harmful symptoms in humans, especially pregnant women, the elderly, and others with compromise immune systems. These companies are asking people not to eat these flavors of ice cream, and to return them to the store for a full refund.
This problem has come to the attention of these companies after another firm, Aspen Hills, found evidence of the bacteria in one of its processing plants. This company distributes frozen cookie dough to other companies for its use in other products, as well as for fundraisers. It is reported that an investigation at the Aspen Hills facility resulted in findings of food safety issues, including improper or incomplete documentation and failure to wear uniforms in appropriate areas. More recalls are expected as the company supplied the suspect goods to 27 different companies.
Consumers expect that products they pay for will work as expected and be safe for their suggested use. This is especially true of food products, which have the potential to cause serious illnesses, and are generally necessary for people to live. While it is good that companies are proactive in issuing recalls to help prevent needless suffering, they don’t do it only out of altruism. Tainted food products that hurt consumers may be the basis of a products liability lawsuit in Texas, and it is important to understand that companies can be held liable for placing unsafe products into the stream of commerce.
Source: consumerist.com, “Blue Bell And Publix Recall More Cookie Dough Ice Cream Due To Supplier’s Recall,” Laura Northrup, Oct. 11, 2016.
