The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Division has opened a criminal investigation regarding Blue Bell Creamery’s response to last spring’s Listeria outbreak that ultimately caused three deaths and at least 10 illnesses.

Details are thin since the news was leaked by an anonymous source. According to reports, the DOJ’s Civil Division will be looking into whether or not anyone at Blue Bell was aware that the company was distributing contaminated product to the mass market. Investigators reportedly want to know if executives knew about the presence of Listeria in the affected production plants, and if so, how they responded upon learning of it.

After halting production to sanitize facilities and retrain employees on proper safety procedures, Blue Bell began distributing its ice cream products to stores again in August.

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