After over 100 years of a recall-free history, last spring plants for Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries were found directly responsible in several people getting sick with listeriosis and a few deaths, having had to retreat the entirety of their products for a while as they cleaned their facilities - and for weeks, there has been a slow but steady Blue Bell return.
The company is now on the second phase of the five scheduled for the Blue Bell return, as they're now bringing back their staple ice cream in central and southern parts of Texas as they continue their massive re-expansion, after a major food safety scare earlier this year, when authorities found the Listeria bacteria in several of their plants.
Now, according to AL.com, the company has announced it will begin the third phase of Blue Bell's return on December 14, and it will be their biggest one yet after the listeria scandal from earlier this year.
"Our Broken Arrow (Oklahoma) and Sylacauga (Alabama) production facilities have been in operation for several months now allowing us to build our inventory," said Ricky Dickson, the company's VP of sales ad marketing, CBS Local quotes about the Blue Bell return. "And, we look to have our Brenham facility back in operation soon."
A press release published on the company's website about Blue Bell's return says that, for phase three, they will be bringing 215 of their longtime employees back from paid furlough, after they'd had to step down during the controversy.
Of course, Blue Bell Creameries isn't currently at full speed yet, and they're only producing five of their flavors in the half gallon and pint sizes, namely Buttered Pecan, Cookies 'n Cream, Dutch Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla and The Great Divide, as well as their 12-pak Homemade Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate Cups.
It's unclear when there will be a full-blown Blue Bell return in the entirety of its previous market.
