3 years after listeria scandal, Blue Bell back in growth mode

Three years after a health scare that nearly spelled the end of the line for a beloved Texas brand, Blue Bell has rebounded — and is, in fact, growing and expanding.

The Brenham-based company, which got its start 111 years ago, shut down production for a time in 2015 and recalled 8 million gallons of ice cream after reports of listeria started coming in. In all, 10 people fell ill. Three died.

During the shutdown, the company deep-cleaned its three plants in Brenham, Sylacauga, Ala., and Broken Arrow, Okla., replaced some equipment and reworked procedures to remedy investigators’ concerns. The state of Texas says it is pleased with the company’s progress and, as of this year, has closed out an enforcement agreement it had with Blue Bell that had allowed operations to resume with expanded monitoring.

“We’re now regulating Blue Bell just as we would any other ice cream maker,” said Chris Van Deusen, spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. “Blue Bell has certainly made strides to improve their manufacturing process and limit the chance that their products could make someone sick.”

Read more: https://www.mystatesman.com/business/years-after-listeria-scandal-blue-bell-back-growth-mode/us6YkSVJhpx72gMj0imKhP/

Note: I used to live in Brenham, but I do not have any financial stake in the company and I'm not asking anyone to purchase their products (which means that there is more for me to eat). Because of its iconic stature in Texas, the recovery of the company is a newsworthy item.