Agency traces listeria in Blue Bell product to Iowa supplier

Federal inspectors have confirmed listeria found in a brand of Blue Bell ice cream that prompted another recall of its products originated with a third-party supplier.

The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/2k4mlh4 ) that the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter last month to Iowa-based Aspen Hills detailing the company's failures in preventing contamination.

The contamination that forced the Blue Bell recall in October was traced to Aspen Hills' chocolate chip cookie dough.

Blue Bell credited its testing program with identifying the presence of listeria in the dough.

At the time, Blue Bell was regaining some of its market share following a debilitating recall the year before resulting from 10 listeria cases in four states, including three deaths in Kansas.

Aspen Hills ceased production at the end of December.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com