Less than a month after the maligned Blue Bell ice cream manufacturer resumed testing at its Alabama facility, the state’s Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that it would allow the Texas-based company to officially begin the production and sale of its products.
Blue Bell has had to deal with a wealth of scandal this year:
The ice cream producer was forced to halt production in March after some of its product was discovered to be contaminated with listeria, a dangerous bacteria. Those contaminations were subsequently linked to three deaths and several other cases. Blue Bell has only been able to resume manufacturing activities after reaching an agreement with the Alabama State Health Department (and entering into similar ones with the appropriate bureaus in Texas and Oklahoma).
The company’s distribution plans still seems to be up in the air, but Alabama’s approval could indicate other states aren’t far behind.
[AP]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com