FORSYTH COUNTY — Though some area school districts have removed all Blue Bell ice cream and frozen products after the Texas-based company issued a voluntary recall Monday night, officials from Forsyth County Schools said they don’t provide any of the company’s items. Blue Bell Creameries announced the voluntary recall of all products on the market — including ice cream, frozen yogurt and snacks and sherbet — after a sampling of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream half-gallons tested positive for listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections and presents a higher risk for pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 years and older and anyone with a weakened immune system. Matt Cardoza, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education, said school systems cannot be required to pull products, though he expected most to do so.“Our nutrition staff doesn’t sell ice cream out of their department,” said Jennifer Caracciolo, spokeswoman for Forsyth County Schools. She said individual schools may sell items, but the district nutrition department doesn’t track those inventories. Some of Georgia’s largest school districts, including Cobb, DeKalb and Cherokee counties, have announced the removal of all Blue Bell products. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 10 people from four states — Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — have been confirmed with the illness. Three deaths have been reported from Kansas. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
FORSYTH COUNTY — Though some area school districts have removed all Blue Bell ice cream and frozen products after the Texas-based company issued a voluntary recall Monday night, officials from Forsyth County Schools said they don’t provide any of the company’s items. Blue Bell Creameries announced the voluntary recall of all products on the market — including ice cream, frozen yogurt and snacks and sherbet — after a sampling of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream half-gallons tested positive for listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections and presents a higher risk for pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 years and older and anyone with a weakened immune system. Matt Cardoza, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education, said school systems cannot be required to pull products, though he expected most to do so.“Our nutrition staff doesn’t sell ice cream out of their department,” said Jennifer Caracciolo, spokeswoman for Forsyth County Schools. She said individual schools may sell items, but the district nutrition department doesn’t track those inventories. Some of Georgia’s largest school districts, including Cobb, DeKalb and Cherokee counties, have announced the removal of all Blue Bell products. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 10 people from four states — Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — have been confirmed with the illness. Three deaths have been reported from Kansas. The Associated Press contributed to this story.