Blue Bell Announces Voluntary Agreement
Blue Bell Announces Voluntary Agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health as Part of Company Efforts to Ensure the Production of Safe Ice Cream
Brenham, TX – Blue Bell Creameries and the Alabama Department of Public Health have entered into a voluntary agreement outlining a series of steps and actions Blue Bell will take as part of its efforts to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream products back to market. The Alabama agreement is similar to agreements reached between the company and Texas and Oklahoma state regulatory agencies as announced on May 14, 2015.
The voluntary agreement details certain actions Blue Bell will take to help give the public confidence that when Blue Bell products return to market, they are safe. The actions include rigorous facility cleaning and sanitizing, revised testing protocols, revised production policies and procedures designed to prevent future contamination, and upgraded employee training initiatives. Once the company is ready to resume production, the voluntary agreement also calls for a trial production period before ice cream is distributed to consumers.
“We hope that the agreement between Blue Bell and the Alabama Department of Public Health will reassure our customers that we are taking the necessary steps to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream back to the market,” said Blue Bell CEO and President Paul Kruse. “We are committed to making these changes so that we meet the high standards and expectations of our customers and our regulatory agencies. Blue Bell will also continue to work cooperatively and transparently with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
Source: Blue Bell Creameries