Blue Bell Suspends Broken Arrow Operations After Contamination Found

"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," a news release says.

Friday, April 3rd 2015, 6:05 pm

By: News On 6

Blue Bell Suspends Broken Arrow Operations After Contamination Found

Blue Bell Creameries says it is voluntarily suspending operations at its manufacturing plant in Broken Arrow in response to contamination found in its ice cream products over the past few weeks, a news release says.

The company says it will inspect the facility thoroughly. On March 24, it recalled its chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream in 3-ounce cups produced at the BA plant.

On March 22, the Kansas Department of Health & Environment reported one positive test for Listeria monocytogenes on a chocolate service cup recovered from a hospital in Wichita.

?4/3/2015 Related Story: Blue Bell Recall Linked To Broken Arrow Plant

News of the plant's closing broke on Friday.

"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," according to spokesperson.

Blue Bell said it has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about its decision and "will remain being transparent with that federal agency."

"Once our investigation is complete and we have made all necessary improvements, [the BA plant] will return to operation," the release says.

According to a spokesperson, operations should be down about a week.