One of the country's largest retailers has decided to pull Blue Bell Ice Cream from its shelves as a precautionary measure after Blue Bell announced it was temporarily closing an Oklahoma production plant.
Blue Bell spokesman Gene Grabowski confirmed Sam's Club has joined H-E-B in halting sales. The dairy company based in Brenham, Texas, last month issued a recallafter ice cream contaminated with listeriosis was linked to three deaths at a Kansas hospital.
The foodborne illness was tracked to a production line in Brenham and later to a second line in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Blue Bell announced Friday it had stopped all production at the Broken Arrow plant.
Kroger spokeswoman Kristal Howard says the grocer has pulled items produced at the Oklahoma plant but continues to sell other products.
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's working with Blue Bell to refill the stocks.
