BRENHAM, Texas (AP) — Blue Bell plans to restart its main Texas ice cream-making plant in a few months as sales expand following listeria contamination and cleanup.
Blue Bell said Thursday that its products return to the Dallas, Fort Worth and Waco areas on Nov. 2, plus Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Brenham-based company on Aug. 31 resumed selling ice cream in the Houston and Austin areas, four months after suspending sales when listeria was found at some plants.
Bell Bell was linked to 10 listeria cases, including three deaths in Kansas. The bacteria can cause serious illness, especially in older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Blue Bell resumed limited production after extensive cleaning and decontamination. Items are currently produced in Sylacauga, Alabama, and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.