HOUSTON – According to the Alabama Department of Health, Blue Bell Creameries will begin trial runs of ice cream production at its plant in Sylacauga, Alabama.
The run, which would be on a limited basis in order to test and monitor new procedures, enhancement and training, could begin as early as July 20.
"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."
There's no word yet on when sales will begin, but it does signal progress by the company in cleaning up its tainted production facilities.
The Texas Health Department said they have an agreement with Blue Bell and that the company has to let them know two weeks before it plans to do trial runs. So far, the department said it has not yet received any notification.
Plants in Alabama, Oklahoma and Brenham, Texas, were closed after ice cream products were linked to 10 cases of listeriosis in four states: one case in Arizona, five cases in Kansas, one case in Oklahoma and three cases in Texas. Three of the patients in Kansas died.
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the investigation into the listeria outbreak in Blue Bell ice cream products was over. The CDC added that people should still not eat the recalled ice cream products and that institutions and retailers should not serve or sell the products because "people could continue to get sick."
In May, the Food and Drug Administration released its public inspection reports.