On Thursday, an extensive report has been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration. As per it, Blue Bell knew Listeria findings at its Oklahoma plant by 2013. It was two years before another outbreak took place in which the company made the first recall in 108 years.

At Brenham plant, the company knew about the Listeria contamination since February 2013. But the company did not make a recall before March 13. It also took place even a health worker in South Carolina found Listeria strains in Blue Bell products, which matched with Listeria strains from five hospital patients in Kansas.

Federal inspectors evaluated the company’s Brenham main plant conditions for more than 11 days in March and April. Inspections on the plant in Broken Arrow, Okla., were carried out for more than 13 days in March and April.

Both the inspections led the inspectors to come up with six issues in Texas and at least 12 issues in Broken Arrow. The federal agency stated about the company, “It failed to manufacture foods under conditions and controls necessary to minimize the potential for growth of microorganisms”.

The report unveiled that proper testing was not done at the company’s plant in Sylacauga, Ala. The FDA’s report is the most detailed look to date into Blue Bell’s operations. In March 2013, Listeria was found at the company’s plant in Broken Arrow in ‘nonfood contact areas’.

Listeria is quite communicable in nature and it can be transported from one area to another. The company stated that they thought that their cleaning process had taken care of any problems. But it can be said that it was the up to the mark and its therefore, they are now conduction re-evaluation of their operations.