It’s been about 3 months since Blue Bell Creameries halted production and temporarily closed it’s doors, but by next week the wait will be over.
In a statement released earlier today Blue Bell Creameries announced that Austin, Houston, Brehham and areas of Alabama will be the first to have the Texas-based ice cream back on its store shelves, starting August 31st.
In video that accompanied the statement, Rick Dickson, the vice president of sales and marketing at Blue Bell, says the company’s return will include part of 15 states, but don’t expect it right away.
“We’re currently operating 1 production facility which limits our capacity to return to all markets at the same time. It’s kind of like trying to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a single garden hose – it can be done but it’s just gonna take some time," Dickson said.
After the Blue Bell’s initial rollout, the company will follow with 4 additional phases.
The next phases include:
Phase Two: North central Texas and southern Oklahoma
Phase Three: Southwest Texas and central Oklahoma
Phase Four: The majority of Texas and southern Louisiana.
Phase Five: Complete the states of Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas and begin distribution in Arkansas, Florida, northern Louisiana and Mississippi. This phase will also include only parts of the following states: Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
A return to Waco shelves could come by phase 4, which sees the company’s products returning to the “majority of Texas” stores.
It’s been several months since a Listeria contamination at Blue Bell production sites caused the company to recall its products and close its factories so they could be cleaned. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the contamination was to 10 illnesses in varying states, 3 of those resulted in deaths.
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