Expert: Fear Of Bacteria Is Well-Founded In Recent Ice Cream Recalls
(CBS) -- Two ice cream recalls, days apart. Are they connected?
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.
Listeria is a common bacteria, but it can be deadly, especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Kantha Shelke, with the food science company Corvus Blue, says the recalls of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and Blue Bell are a step in the right direction.
"Today, bacteria have become very, very powerful and if not properly cleaned, these bacteria can actually form what's called a film," she says. "These bio-films become very resistant, and unless you clean it really well, they persist and they can contaminate this production and subsequent productions."
The two listeria cases aren't connected.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture discovered listeria in a random test of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. The FDA says listeria was found in Blue Bell production facilities in Oklahoma and Alabama. Both Blue Bell and Jeni's issued voluntary recalls.
Shelke says the FDA mandates any dairy plant must dismantle and thoroughly clean equipment every 24 hours.