Blue Bell ice cream returns in Texas

BRENHAM, Texas (AP) – Blue Bell ice cream is back.

Blue Bell Creameries has resumed selling its products in select locations Monday, four months after the Texas-based retailer halted sales due to listeria contamination.

Blue Bell ice cream is now available at stores in the Houston and Austin areas, including in the company’s hometown of Brenham, plus parts of Alabama.

The company voluntarily recalled its products in April after they were linked to 10 listeria cases in four states, including three deaths in Kansas.

Production plants in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama then underwent an extensive cleaning and decontamination, under the regulatory oversight of health officials.

Listeria bacteria can cause serious illness, especially in older adults, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.