Blue Bell to begin trial runs at Alabama plant after listeria prompted

The ice cream will not be sold to consumers.

The Brenham, Texas-based company issued a statement saying the limited production runs will test the effectiveness of new procedures, facility enhancements and employee training.

Blue Bell entered into an agreement with the Alabama State Health Department on June 1, indicating that it would alert the department when it was ready to resume production.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Blue Bell is beginning a trial run of ice cream production at its Sylacauga plant, which has been closed since a national recall of the company’s products.

Blue Bell treats have been out of reach since April 20th, when the company voluntarily recalled every product, after a listeria outbreak was traced to several Blue Bell plants.

Blue Bell shut down all its plans earlier this year after Listeria was found in its products.

For fans of the Texas brand, it’s the first sign of the ice cream’s return, since it was pulled from retailers in April.

“We have been working diligently to prepare our facilities to resume test production, and our focus throughout this process has been to ensure the public that when our products return to market, they are safe”, Greg Bridges, vice president of operations for Blue Bell, said in a statement. After the trial period, the company will begin building inventory to resume commercial sales. Three people who ate the contaminated ice cream died and several others were sickened. However, according to the Texas Department of Health, Blue Bell has not reported any plans to produce ice cream at the two Texas plants.

The company operates two plants in Texas, one in Oklahoma and one in Alabama.