Today’s the day.
After a months-long hiatus, Blue Bell Ice Cream returns to some Austin stores’ freezer aisles. The Brenham-based creamery halted production in April after listeria-contaminated products were linked to deaths in Kansas.
Homemade Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and the Great Divide will all be available Houston, Austin and some Alabama stores, as well as Brenham, starting today. You can expect limits on how many Blue Bell products can be purchased in one visit at some stores, with many vendors limiting purchases to a maximum of four items per customer.
Today’s re-entry into stores is part of the company’s five-phase plan to get back to market following the listeria cases this spring, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a total of 10 cases of listeria linked to the company’s ice cream – three of which resulted in deaths.
Still, that likely won’t deter Texans looking to get their ice cream fix this morning. WFAA’s David Schechter even drove from Dallas to Willis, just north of Houston, with 15 coolers loaded with the stuff – Dallas is in the second phase of the company’s re-entry into stores. This morning, one customer reportedly drove 100 miles to a Walmart in Austin to get his hands on some Blue Bell.
