With its ice cream still absent from store shelves, Blue Bell Creameries said it notified FDA and state health officials in Alabama it will begin test production at the Sylacauga, AL facility during the next several weeks.
Recent information released by Blue Bell Creameries relating to the cause of the Listeria contamination in some of its ice cream products has a familiar ring to it—improperly maintained equipment contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Describing it as an “agonizing decision,” Blue Bell Creameries announced its first layoffs in 108 years of business, cutting more than one-third of its workforce after the company stopped production and initiated a full recall in April when some of its products were linked to an outbreak of Listeriosis.
Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries, which pulled all its products from stores in April, was aware one of its production facilities contained listeria more than two years ago according to recent documents released by FDA.
After increasing health concerns, Texas-based Blue Bell Ice Creameries decided to pull all of its products from stores nationwide because the frozen desserts have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
A possible product contamination with Listeria monocytogenes prompted a voluntary recall of approximately 30,000 cases of the Sabra Dipping Co., LLC’s popular hummus brand of products.
Blue Bell Creameries has voluntarily suspended operations at its manufacturing plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to conduct a thorough food safety inspection at the facility and account for any possible areas of contamination after a number of the company’s ice cream products were linked to a Listeriosis outbreak.