BRENHAM, TEXAS — A little less than three months after voluntarily recalling all of its products, Blue Bell Creameries has notified the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials in Alabama that it hopes to begin test production of ice cream at its Sylacauga, Ala., facility in the next several weeks.
When production resumes at the Sylacauga plant, Blue Bell said it will be on a limited basis as the company ensures that new procedures, facility enhancements and employee training have been effective. Ice cream produced will be closely monitored and tested, the company said.
Blue Bell did not disclose when the test production will begin, or when ice cream sales may resume.
“We have been working diligently to prepare our facilities to resume test production, and our focus throughout this process has been to ensure the public that when our products return to market, they are safe,” said Greg Bridges, vice-president of operations for Blue Bell. “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.”
Blue Bell on April 20 voluntarily recalled all of its products, including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and frozen snacks, on the market made at all of its facilities. On June 9, the company said it had provided the F.D.A. a detailed list of corrective actions that were under way in response to the agency’s inspection reports of Blue Bell’s production facilities in Brenham; Broken Arrow, Okla.; and Sylacauga. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on June 10 said it had ended its investigation of theListeriosisoutbreak that affected a reported 10 people, including 3 who died. The investigation indicated various Blue Bell brand products were the source of the outbreak.
