Four months after Blue Bell recalled all of its products due to a listeria scare that led to several deaths, the dairy company's suburban Tulsa plant started churning ice cream Tuesday.
“We are humbled by the incredible customer loyalty we have seen, and we thank our customers for their continued patience as we work through the process of resuming production and getting back into stores,” Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse said in a statement.
We hope with this addition we will be able to better meet the overwhelming consumer demand we’ve had since our return.
— Blue Bell Ice Cream (@ILoveBlueBell) September 1, 2015
Also, we are only offering four flavors at this time. We will add more soon. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU! #BlueBellisBack
— Blue Bell Ice Cream (@ILoveBlueBell) August 31, 2015
The plant had been shut down for months because traces of listeria were found at the facility. Broken Arrow mayor Craig Thurman says the city is happy to have the company back.
“My favorite food’s ice cream, so I’m excited about it,” Thurman said. “But I think a lot of people are really excited about the fact it’s a big part of the community. They’re really a big contributor to things that go on.”
About 70 percent of the Broken Arrow plant’s 200 workers have returned to work. Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce President Wes Smithwick says most of the workers did not leave the company.
“We have manufacturers – I can take you within a half-a-mile of here – that have about 10 different positions that they’re hiring,” Smithwick said. “So most of those people who are skilled could’ve found jobs elsewhere. But the ones that chose to stick it out went back to Blue Bell. And I think that speaks volumes.”
Two of Blue Bell’s three production facilities are now back in operation. The dairy company says there's no firm date for when ice cream from the Broken Arrow facility will be available for sale.
The production facility in Sylacauga ,Alabama started producing ice cream a little over a month ago, and the fruits of their labor started appearing on store shelves in south Texas on Monday.
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