Support NeoGAF

[DOWN]

It's now been determined by the FDA that Blue Bell knew and ignored the listeria concerns for 2 years. For those unaware, this company's ice cream has all been recalled and is expected to remain unavailable for months after 3 people died from listeria tainted product:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/liste...e-bell-plants-071702659.html?.gg_forward=true

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Blue Bell Creameries knew there was listeria in one of the company's plants as far back as March 2013, according to a government investigation. But the company didn't issue any recalls or shut down its production until after the products were linked to listeria illnesses this year — including three deaths in Kansas.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday released results of its investigations into Blue Bell's plants in Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama after a Freedom of Information request by The Associated Press. The most extensive violations were found in Oklahoma, where the FDA listed 17 positive tests for listeria on equipment and around its plant there from March 2013 through February 2015.

Neither Blue Bell nor the FDA has said why the Oklahoma plant was not closed after repeated findings of listeria, which wasn't found in the food but in multiple locations around the plant. Blue Bell said it cleaned the areas, but FDA said in its report that cleaning wasn't adequate.

Blue Bell recalled all of its products and shut down production last month after listeria was found in samples of the company's ice cream and the illnesses and deaths were linked to its products.

 

[Tinfoilhatsron]

Because money. $$$$$$

 

[Funky Papa]

"Maybe if we do nothing it will go away".

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

wow

that's criminal negligence right?

 

[Dryk]

When real people do that it's called negligent homicide

 

[SoulUnison]

When real people do that it's called negligent homicide

Corporations, people?
Corporations, people.

 

[water_wendi]

Blue Bell stopped advertising in our area right when the first listeria was found. At least the radio will be free from that jingle for a while now.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

So yeah, about all those dickheads who were praying for Blue Bell...

 

[Vicetrailia]

i feel terrible for the three people who died, it just isn't fair.

 

[esquire]

Huge settlement incoming.

Is Blue Bell mainly a southern thing? I never heard of them until very recently from a person from the south.

 

[DOWN]

Huge settlement incoming.

Is Blue Bell mainly a southern thing? I never heard of them until very recently from a person from the south.

Yes, they are a largely southern U.S. company and prior to the recall were the third best selling brand of ice cream in the U.S.

 

[Talon]

This is the age of Listeria

Huge settlement incoming.

Is Blue Bell mainly a southern thing? I never heard of them until very recently from a person from the south.

Yep.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Corporate death penalty

 

[cr_blah_blah]

Huge settlement incoming.

Is Blue Bell mainly a southern thing? I never heard of them until very recently from a person from the south.

It's basically the go-to general ice cream here in Texas. You'll go to a place that makes floats or something and they'll be a sign that says "MADE WITH BLUE BELL!". Not that there aren't better options but growing up in South Texas is was all my family bought.

The crazy part is they had TWO recalls because they tried to skate by after the first one under the guise of it only being a couple of products tainted instead of pulling the entire lineup until a few weeks later.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Corporations, people?
Corporations, people.

Bumblebee Tuna is being charged with manslaughter I think, so there's hope!

 

[BertramCooper]

Thankfully Jeni's handled their listeria issues much better than Blue Bell.

Shut down their production facilities and stores immediately after listeria was discovered.

Nobody has gotten sick, the source of the listeria has been found, and hopefully they'll be be open again in a month or two.

 

[Talon]

Thankfully Jeni's handled their listeria issues much better than Blue Bell.

Shut down their production facilities and stores immediately after listeria was discovered.

Nobody has gotten sick, the source of the listeria has been found, and hopefully they'll be be open again in a month or two.

Huh. I was wondering why Jeni's wasn't in stores over the last few weeks.

 

[Log4Girlz]

We had just switched to Blue Bell before that recall too...damn.

 

[HariKari]

Corporate death penalty

It'd be nice to see the equivalent applied here. Revoke their ability to sell product for a certain amount of time? Might get these producers to pay attention.

 

[Ray Wonder]

2 full years? That's a long time of knowingly selling potentially deadly ice cream. Hopefully the families of those three get millions.

 

[BertramCooper]

Huh. I was wondering why Jeni's wasn't in stores over the last few weeks.

Yep.

Jeni's has done everything right. Blue Bell did everything wrong - and then some.

 

[Big Baybee]

They gon get it.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

They gon get it.

slap on the wrist and a payout to the families???

 

[Lace]

This is terrible. These families deserve huge settlements. However, who knows if they will even get them if the company can't sell their product.

 

[Big-E]

Whoever at the top knew about this and actively chose to do nothing needs to go to prison. Fine them too as a company, but throw some executives in jail.

Hell, I wouldn't be sad at all if there was the death penalty for this. To know that what you are selling can kill innocent people and you do nothing because money is fucking horrific. Scum of humanity.

 

[InfiniteBento]

Holy shit. This kind of shit is terrifying. Fuck bluebell for putting peoples lives at stake with this.

 

[Snkfanatic]

Wow...that is disgusting. I was already avoiding their stuff just from cost alone but now. No thanks.

 

[The Lamp]

This is horrid and inexcusable.

 

[cajunator]

Damn., Hopefully they get some product back on the shelves soon because Im craving creole cream cheese.

 

[SliceSabre]

Fucking sick. And some people actually think corporations needs less regulation not more, fucking yeah right! Your product, which is meant to be eaten, is literally full of something deadly and you just keep on keeping on.

FDA is no fucking better being in bed with these companies.

 

[The Lamp]

Fucking sick. And some people actually think corporations needs less regulation not more, fucking yeah right! Your product, which is meant to be eaten, is literally full of something deadly and you just keep on keeping on.

FDA is no fucking better being in bed with these companies.

LOL the FDA is what keeps these companies in line.

 

[Goro Majima]

I feel bad for most of the Blue Bell employees. Working in the ice cream industry is supposed to be this thing where you feel good about what you make. Then all this happens? Sheesh.

 

[Mimosa97]

These companies who know that they're in trouble but decide to do " nothing " made their decision based on how much money they'd lose in X case scenario.

So basically they calculated that if people died from listeria they would have to pay X amount of money in settlements. If that amount is less than the cost of recalling all the products back then they'll take the risk. Same shit as car companies when they realize one of their model has a flaw.

These companies are basically psychopaths.

 

[SliceSabre]

LOL the FDA is what keeps these companies in line.

Please! I thought it was pretty well known government regulators never go full ham on companies because they don't actually want to hurt their business even if its getting people killed.

Example

 

[acheron_xl]

Sounds like something a company based in Oklahoma would do.

 

[NewFresh]

Fucking sick. And some people actually think corporations needs less regulation not more, fucking yeah right! Your product, which is meant to be eaten, is literally full of something deadly and you just keep on keeping on.

FDA is no fucking better being in bed with these companies.

As someone who works with the FDA regularly...you have no idea what you are talking about. They keep the industry in check.

 

[SliceSabre]

As someone who works with the FDA regularly...you have no idea what you are talking about. They keep the industry in check.

All the reports and stories I hear about government regulators from the oil and gas, fiance, and mining sectors regularly not doing their jobs makes me doubt somehow the FDA is one of the few bastions out there actually doing their job unlike the rest.

I bet there's plenty of people who'd tell you that regulators were totally doing their jobs right before the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the great recession.

 

[acheron_xl]

All the reports and stories I hear about government regulators from the oil and gas, fiance, and mining sectors regularly not doing their jobs makes me doubt somehow the FDA is one of the few bastions out there actually doing their job unlike the rest.

I bet there's plenty of people who'd tell you that regulators were totally doing their jobs right before the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the great recession.

Government regulatory agencies aren't perfect, but the alternative is much worse.

 

[Zzoram]

All the reports and stories I hear about government regulators from the oil and gas, fiance, and mining sectors regularly not doing their jobs makes me doubt somehow the FDA is one of the few bastions out there actually doing their job unlike the rest.

I bet there's plenty of people who'd tell you that regulators were totally doing their jobs right before the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the great recession.

Government regulators never go full force on companies because the government also has to consider economic consequences of regulation; however, the government does prevent companies from crossing some lines. Besides, the way the law is written, it's probably not illegal to find Listeria in your ice cream plant, the law probably just says you can't have Listeria in your food and the report says they didn't find it in the ice cream until just recently, it was only found on equipment in the past.

You can bet that without government oversight, those 3 Listeria deaths wouldn't have been connected to Blue Bell and that Blue Bell wouldn't have recalled all of their product. "Voluntary recall" simply means they were asked to recall their products by the government and they did it. A "mandatory recall" would be ordered if they didn't promptly do it voluntarily, so the term "voluntary" is misleading and just exists to let companies save face.


Government regulation isn't perfect but it definitely beats "self regulation".

 

[The Lamp]

Please! I thought it was pretty well known government regulators never go full ham on companies because they don't actually want to hurt their business even if its getting people killed.

Example

The FDA will give companies reasonable time to fix concerns, but they don't go easy on companies at all. The FDA is extremely strict.

Then again, I can't really expect most people here to know what it's like to interact with the FDA.

As someone who works with the FDA regularly...you have no idea what you are talking about. They keep the industry in check.

Yep. They do not fuck around

All the reports and stories I hear about government regulators from the oil and gas, fiance, and mining sectors regularly not doing their jobs makes me doubt somehow the FDA is one of the few bastions out there actually doing their job unlike the rest.

I bet there's plenty of people who'd tell you that regulators were totally doing their jobs right before the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the great recession.

Deepwater Horizon had a LOT go wrong, but that's not related to the FDA. Being an engineer and having studied that case in detail in my courses, there's just way too much to comment on with that incident.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Because money. $$$$$$

...this is something I just don't understand.

If money is the primary concern, wouldn't fixing the issue be the appropriate action, since controversies like this can destroy companies? Now they have months without production, a tarnished brand and I imagine grocery stores will not want to stock product as much anymore. So they're ruined just to make slightly more profit over two years?

Going out of business versus one bad quarter and they pick going out of business?

 

[B.O.O.M]

This reminds me of the Kenneth Kendrick case somewhat...

but damn man :S I actually love Blue Bell Ice Cream and this feels like a punch in the face. Hope they get sued to oblivion.

Time to look for a new ice cream brand I guess.

 

[Biker19]

Wonder how Blue Bell are going to avoid all of this bad PR that they're getting (they won't).

A lot of customers will be unable to trust them again.

 

[Philia]

Wonder how they're going to avoid all of this bad PR (they won't).

A lot of customers will be unable to trust them again.

And that's a real fucking shame too. Being from the south, Blue Bell was the best there was.

 

[Dega]

Wonder how Blue Bell are going to avoid all of this bad PR that they're getting (they won't).

A lot of customers will be unable to trust them again.

Honestly I don't think most people here are gonna blacklist them. They're an icon of the south and I don't see them going away even after this. Probably will be a rocky road for a bit but they'll be fine in the long run.

 

[Biker19]

And that's a real fucking shame too. Being from the south, Blue Bell was the best there was.

I'm just glad that I eat ice cream such as Breyers, Stone Ridge Creamery, & Ben & Jerry's.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Probably will be a rocky road for a bit but they'll be fine in the long run.

I see what you did there

 

[User 406]

...this is something I just don't understand.

If money is the primary concern, wouldn't fixing the issue be the appropriate action, since controversies like this can destroy companies? Now they have months without production, a tarnished brand and I imagine grocery stores will not want to stock product as much anymore. So they're ruined just to make slightly more profit over two years?

Going out of business versus one bad quarter and they pick going out of business?

Because they don't foresee the actual event of their negligence catching up with them. It's just an annoying regulatory hassle until it suddenly blows up into a PR issue. Their primary concern is day to day stock growth. Wall Street Capitalism in action. But don't think that these executives aren't taking the long view. They're smart enough to negotiate their golden parachutes in advance, so they can gamble with lives and the company's future without risk.

It's funny, my family and I did a tour of that Broken Arrow Blue Bell plant just a few years ago when we were visiting Tulsa. My wife loved the sample ice cream they gave us. :X

 

[Amory]

All the reports and stories I hear about government regulators from the oil and gas, fiance, and mining sectors regularly not doing their jobs makes me doubt somehow the FDA is one of the few bastions out there actually doing their job unlike the rest.

I bet there's plenty of people who'd tell you that regulators were totally doing their jobs right before the Deepwater Horizon disaster or the great recession.

I work at a pharmaceutical company, and the FDA is no joke.

They're not perfect, but they're hardly the useless bunch you're portraying them to be.

 

[cajunator]

I'm just glad that I eat ice cream such as Breyers, Stone Ridge Creamery, & Ben & Jerry's.

do any of them have a Creole cream cheese flavor?