Going forward, Blue Bell must notify the Alabama’s health department of future plant test results.
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State officials gave the thumbs up on Wednesday for troubled Texas company Blue Bell to resume making ice cream in its Alabama plant after a shut-down due to Listeria cases linked to its products that led to a recall and public health worries.
The company said it would place about 1,400 employees on partially paid furloughs and that about 750 full-time and 700 part-time workers would be laid off.
Blue Bell production stopped early this year after the company pulled its products from stores nationwide because of Listeria contamination. The ice cream company tweeted last month that it will start production at its Alabama plant because it is smaller than its flagship plant, allowing them to implement improvements faster.
Blue Bell, which is based in Brenham, Texas, underwent an extensive cleaning and decontamination process at its plants following the recall.
The state inspection also found that the creamery adheres to public health standards and no objection was made on the resumed production.
No date has been announced for when the famous ice cream products will be available on the market.
The recall will bring back 180 workers total, as production resumes in Alabama, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News.
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Blue Bell received a $135 million investment from Texas billionaire Sid Bass, which has enabled the company to continue to conduct testing during the time that its product has been off the market.
