Blue Bell ice cream returning

Published 7:00 am Thursday, August 13, 2015

STOCKING UP: Frozen Dairy Manager Jojo Estave stocks up the frozen ice cream area at Claiborne Hill. The store will begin selling Blue Bell ice cream in the next couple of months. Photo by Ashley Collins.

 

Blue Bell Creameries plans to resume ice cream shipments several months after a listeria outbreak halted production.

Joe Robertson, with Blue Bell’s public relations, said in an email that the Texas-based company’s trucks “are headed from Sylacauga, Ala. to a limited number of distribution centers to begin building inventory. We hope to be releasing more information about our distribution plans and flavors soon.”

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In April, Blue Bell recalled its products after they were linked to 10 listeria illnesses in four states, including several deaths in Kansas. The products were recalled from retail outlets in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming, the Item previously reported.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes deadly infections in young children, elderly people, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, according to previous Item coverage.

For the past several months, the company has been testing their products and expanding their cleaning and sanitation system to ensure their products are safe for future consumption, Robertson said.

At this time, there’s no set date when the products—which include, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and frozen snack products—will be available at stores but they’ll be available sometime in the near future, Robertson said.

Claiborne Hill Frozen Dairy Manager Jojo Estave said they’ve been in talks with the company to begin selling their frozen products at the local store.

“We should have Blue Bell ice cream products available in two to three months,” Estave said.

For more information, contact Blue Bell representatives at 1-866-608-3940.