--- description: How three people in Kansas have died after eating contaminated Blue Bell Creameries brand ice cream products. title: How Ice Cream Gets Contaminated—and Sometimes Kills image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee5d7ec0d3f34b41/6987839bcd1bba7d716f5af4/blue-bell.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [toxins](/tag/toxins/) ## toxins Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How Ice Cream Gets Contaminated—and Sometimes Kills by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 14, 2015 5:41 PM CUT  A container of recalled Blue Bell ice cream. A container of recalled Blue Bell ice cream.Blue Bell by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 14, 2015 5:41 PM CUT Three people in Kansas have [died after eating contaminated Blue Bell Creameries brand ice cream](http://time.com/3744901/kansas-patients-die-ice-cream/ "undefined") products. A total of five people were infected, and the ice cream has been recalled. But how does ice cream get tainted in the first place? The bacteria that contaminated the ice cream is called _Listeria_ _monocytogenes,_ and [according to](http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/listeria/index.html "undefined") the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1,600 Americans get sick from _Listeria_ every year. It’s the third leading cause of death from food poisoning. It’s the same bacteria that [contaminated caramel apples from California](http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/caramel-apples-12-14/index.html "undefined") in January, causing 35 people in 12 states to get sick, and killing seven. The bacteria grows very well at refrigerator temperatures, even as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the longer ready-to-eat refrigerated foods are stored in the fridge, the [more opportunity the bacteria has to grow](http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm438104.htm "undefined"). “It’s why it’s a problem for cooler foods like ice cream and cheese,” says Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer in Washington state. **MORE:** [3 Kansas Patients Die From Tainted Ice Cream](http://time.com/3744901/kansas-patients-die-ice-cream/ "undefined") The FDA was able to confirm that three strains of the bacteria came from a single Blue Bell production line at one facility in Brenham, Texas, though the agency has not disclosed a precise point of contact. Blue Bell [says](http://cdn.bluebell.com/BB%5Fwithdrawal "undefined") one of its machines produced the problem. “Likely what happened is the piece of machinery was contaminated. The liquid form of the ice cream goes through the machine when it’s not yet frozen, but around 40 degrees, and it’s a great place for \[listeria\] to grow,” says Marler. It’s not the first time contaminated ice cream has sickened Americans. In December 2014, Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream, Inc. [issued a voluntary recall](http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm427940.htm "undefined") of several of its ice cream, gelato, custard and sorbet products when they tested positive Listeria, and [sickened two people](http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/snoqualmie-making-ice-cream-again-after-listeria-problems-resolved/ "undefined"). In 1994, 200,000 people [became ill](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2011-06-vitalsigns.pdf "undefined") from eating Schwan’s ice cream that had been transported by a distribution truck that had [previously transported](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199605163342001#t=articleBackground "undefined") non-pasteurized liquid eggs contaminated with _Salmonella_. Other recent dairy outbreaks include a [2014 outbreak of ](http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cheese-10-14/index.html "undefined")[_Listeria_](http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cheese-10-14/index.html "undefined")in cheese and dairy products produced by Oasis Brands, Inc. Five people became ill and one died. A year earlier, [six people were infected](http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cheese-07-13/index.html "undefined") with _Listeria_ in Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company cheese products—one person died. ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3744962/ice-cream-contaminated-kansas-blue-bell-creameries/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3744962/ice-cream-contaminated-kansas-blue-bell-creameries/"},"headline":"How Ice Cream Gets Contaminated—and Sometimes Kills","datePublished":"2015-03-14T17:41:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:04.023Z","description":"What could have caused 3 deaths in Kansas","url":"https://time.com/3744962/ice-cream-contaminated-kansas-blue-bell-creameries/","keywords":["toxins","Kansas","Infectious Disease","Bacteria","Ice Cream","hospital"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee5d7ec0d3f34b41/6987839bcd1bba7d716f5af4/blue-bell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltee5d7ec0d3f34b41/6987839bcd1bba7d716f5af4/blue-bell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Blue-Bell","caption":"A container of recalled Blue Bell ice cream.","creditText":"Blue Bell","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/toxins/","name":"toxins"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3744962/ice-cream-contaminated-kansas-blue-bell-creameries/","name":"How Ice Cream Gets Contaminated—and Sometimes Kills"}}]}] ```