July 24, 2015 — Blue Bell Creameries has resumed production at an ice cream facility in Sylacauga, Alabama that has been shuttered since April due to a Listeria outbreak.
The plant will resume production under close supervision of health officials. After the trial period, Blue Bell will build the inventory it needs to return to the market. No date has been set for that return.
On Wednesday, the company tweeted:
“Today our machines cranked up and we began evaluating our enhanced production processes. Each day we’re getting closer to bringing Blue Bell back!”
The company got a shot in the arm last week, when Texas oil billionaire Sid Bass pledged a $125 million loan to get company up and running. The loan would give the Bass family a 33% stake in the privately-owned company, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Last month, the Associated Press reported that an independent lab detected Listeria in a carton of ice cream made at the Alabama facility. In April, a 75 year-old man who ate the ice cream fell ill and is considering filing a lawsuit.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the ice cream sickened 10 people in four states over the last five years, including three hospital patients in Kansas who died. Blue Bell had 17 positive Listeria tests in its facilities since 2011, but never recalled a product in its 108-year history until earlier this year.
Do I have a Blue Bell Ice Cream Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Blue Bell ice cream induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with Listeria, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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