Blue Bell Creameries resumed delivering ice cream to select regions on Monday, several months after shutting down production when Blue Bell products were identified as the source of a multi-state listeria outbreak.
The first deliveries of ice cream were made early Monday morning in Brenham, Texas, where a local NBC News station says freezers were well stocked with Blue Bell ice cream.
Blue Bell production was shut down earlier this year after it was determined that Americans were getting sick with listeriosis from consuming Blue Bell products. The multi-state outbreak hospitalized 10 people, and three people died. In April, Blue Bell recalled all of its products.
MORE: How Ice Cream Gets Contaminated—and Sometimes Kills
In early August, Alabama approved Blue Bell’s request to resume production and delivery. Since the company still only has limited production capacity, it plans to re-enter 15 states in five phases. Monday began the first phase, which includes distribution to the Brenham, Houston and Austin, Texas areas and Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala.
“Over the past several months we have been working to make our facilities even better, and to ensure that everything we produce is safe, wholesome and of the highest quality for you to enjoy,” Ricky Dickson, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Bell, said in a statement.
You can see where Blue Bell will be distributing next, here.
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