WARNING: Videos linked to in this story contain profanity
An American ice cream company is working with police to hunt down a woman seen in a viral video opening a tub and taking a lick before returning it to the supermarket’s freezer.
In the video, a young woman can be seen pulling off the lid of a tub of Blue Bell Ice Cream as a man’s voice eggs her on.
“Lick it! Lick it!” the man behind the camera is heard saying. “Oh, put it back! Put it back!”
The woman takes one lick of the ice cream before replacing the lid and placing it back in the freezer with a big smile.
The nine-second clip has racked up more than 11 million views since it was shared on Twitter on Saturday.
Online commenters expressed disgust at the mystery woman’s behaviour, with many calling on other social media users to track her down to identify her.
Several Twitter users questioned why Blue Bell Creameries doesn’t come with a protective seal on their products.
In response, Blue Bell Creameries tweeted that they take this issue “very seriously” and are currently working with the appropriate authorities. A further statement on the Texas-based company’s website thanked consumers for alerting them to the video.
“We want to thank our consumers for alerting us to the incident this past weekend of a video posted to social media showing a Blue Bell item being tampered with. We take this issue very seriously and are currently working with law enforcement, retail partners and social media platforms,” the notice said.
“This type of incident will not be tolerated.”
Blue Bell Creameries also addressed customers’ concerns about the seal on their products.
“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 explained.
It remains unclear where the video was shot and the identity of the woman featured in it.
