FULL STATEMENT: July 8, 2015, Brenham, TX – Blue Bell Creameries has notified the US FDA and state health officials in Alabama that it hopes to begin test production of ice cream at its Sylacauga, AL, facility in the next several weeks.
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Blue Bell Creameries will lay off more than one-third of its work force after listeria illnesses linked to its ice cream that prompted a nationwide recall, the Texas company announced Friday, May 15, 2015.
But don’t run out and buy your favorite ice cream toppings to go with a big bowl of Blue Bell just yet.
There is no firm date for the test production to begin, and no firm date for when ice cream sales will resume.
The agreement details actions the company will take to ensure its products are safe, such as facility cleaning and sanitizing, revised testing protocols and production policies, procedures to prevent future contamination and new training initiatives.
“We are very excited about taking these important first steps as part of the process of getting high-quality Blue Bell products back to consumers”, Bridges said. Ice cream produced will be closely monitored and tested.
Health reports found that listeria was present in the Alabama facility.
Blue Bell said in a statement that the Alabama agreement is similar to agreements reached with Texas and Oklahoma state regulatory agencies in May.
Texans are going to have to wait a little longer for the sweet treat they’ve craved for months. However, according to the Texas Department of Health, Blue Bell has not reported any plans to produce ice cream at the two Texas plants.
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As of this writing, no notice had been made.
