Video shows woman licking tub of Blue Bell ice cream then returning it to store shelf

(WAFB) - Don’t take Blue Bell’s sweetness for granted.

The company is coordinating with law enforcement, retail partners, and social media platforms to track down a woman shown in a video licking the top of a 64 -ounce ice cream container at a grocery store.

The woman appears to place the now tainted container back on the shelf at the end of the video.

Several copies of the video have gone viral.

***WARNING POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE***

“This type of incident will not be tolerated,” said Blue Bell when asked about the video by WAFB. “Food safety is a top priority, and we work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers.”

Blue Bell also thanked consumers for alerting team members about the “food tampering incident.” Food tampering can lead to felony charges in some states.

Some consumers took to social media to criticize the lack of safety sealing on some Blue Bell products.

“It’s sickening and if Blue Bell really cares so much about delivering its product to the consumers, then they should consider adding a protective seal to prevent idiots from tampering with it,” said one user in the comments.

“Please someone please share with Blue Bell Ice Cream.. this is not funny disgusting they need to be caught & charged. Please Blue Bell ice cream seal your ice cream.” another user pleaded.

Blue Bell responded to those statements with the following:

“During production, our half gallons are flipped upside down and sent to a hardening room where the ice cream freezes to the lid creating a natural seal. The lids are frozen tightly to the carton. Any attempt at opening the product should be noticeable.”

The company said in a statement on its website it will continue to monitor the situation.

The FDA maintains a list of tips to detect product tampering at the grocery store:

Carefully examine all food product packaging - Be aware of the normal appearance of food containers. That way you’ll be more likely to notice if an outer seal or wrapper is missing. Compare a suspect container with others on the shelf.
Check any anti-tampering devices on packaging - Make sure the plastic seal around the outside of a container is intact or that the safety button on the lid of a jar is down.
Don’t purchase products if the packaging is open, torn, or damaged. - This includes products on the shelf or in the refrigerator or freezer sections of the grocery store.
Don’t buy products that are damaged or that look unusual - For example, never purchase canned goods that are leaking or that bulge at the ends. Likewise for products that appear to have been thawed and then refrozen.
Check the “sell-by” dates printed on some products, and only buy items within that time frame.
If you suspect product tampering at the grocery store, report it to the store manager.
Once you get a commercial food product home, report a suspected tampering incident to your local police department.
If the food contains meat or poultry, call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.
If the food does not contain meat or poultry (such as seafood, produce, or eggs), notify the Food and drug Administration. For emergency questions, call the FDA’s 24-hour emergency number at (301) 443-1240. For non-emergency questions, call the FDA Food Information Line at 1-888-SAFEFOOD