Agency traces listeria in Blue Bell product to Iowa supplier

FILE - In thus April 23, 2015 file photo, flags flutter in the breeze outside of the Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, Texas. A supplier of cookie dough that Blue Bell Creameries is blaming for a possible listeria contamination of some of its ice cream products says its product tested negative for the pathogen before being sent to the Texas-based company. In a statement Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, Iowa-based Aspen Hills said the "positive listeria results were obtained by Blue Bell only after our product had been in their control for almost two months." (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP, File)

BRENHAM, Texas – 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 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.