Report: Feds looking into Blue Bell listeria outbreak

Timeline: The Blue Bell listeria outbreak

Click through to see the timeline of the Blue Bell recall. The year 2015 started out strong for the beloved Texas ice cream chain. This year the store announced plans to move into Nevada – its 23rd state – due to popular demand and opened its fifth Houston-area distribution center . But the Brenham, Texas-based ice cream maker has now recalled all products after the brand was tied to a listeria outbreak that killed three in Kansas. less Timeline: The Blue Bell listeria outbreak

The year 2015 started out strong for the beloved Texas ice cream chain. This year the store announced plans to move into Nevada – its 23rd state – due to popular ... more Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images Image 1 of / 83 Caption Close Report: Feds looking into Blue Bell listeria outbreak 1 / 83 Back to Gallery

CBS News reported Tuesday evening that the Justice Department is looking into the deadly listeria outbreak that forced Blue Bell ice cream to shut down earlier this year. CBS confirmed the investigation to College Station's KBTX.

The Justice Department is trying to determine what management knew about "potentially deadly hazards" at Blue Bell plants and when they knew it, CBS News says.

RELATED: Inside Blue Bell: Grime and discontent

Products from Brenham-based Blue Bell are returning to store shelves in several states after a historic recall of the beloved ice cream in March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked listeria in Blue Bell products to 10 illnesses and three deaths in four states since 2010.

In addition, Blue Bell is facing a federal lawsuit related to the outbreak. Food and Drug Administration investigators cited the company for widespread problems with cleaning and sanitation. The company also had to put 1,400 employees on furlough with partial pay and laid off 1,450 more. The total workforce had been 3,900.