BLUE BELL IS LETTING VISITORS BACK IN

Brenham site’s popular attraction open for free two years after recall.

Two years after enduring the harsh glare of negative publicity, Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries is inviting consumer scrutiny.

In 2015, the Brenham-based ice cream maker was at the center of a product recall that garnered international attention. This summer, the 100-plus-yearold company is re-opening an observation deck that allows consumers to watch part of the ice cream-making process at a plant that received a major overhaul.

The observation deck had been the last stop on a ticketed tour of the company’s main plant. Now, consumers can stop by the observation area for free and just watch.

“It has been a popular attraction,” said spokeswoman Jenny Van Dorf.

“At this time, there is no cost to our visitors. It is a self-guided tour that overlooks one of our production areas. Visitors can see how our products are made like half gallons, pints, 3 gallons, and 3-ounce cups. With the summer crowds, we’ve seen several hundred each day,” she said.

After the recall, the company “had not resumed any type of tour until just a few weeks ago.”

The observation area is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. “until our production ends for the day, which is usually between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.” No photos are allowed. After the pathogen Listeria was found in Blue Bell plants and linked to its ice cream, the company shut down production at all four of its

plants, including the two in Texas, and stripped all products from store shelves.

The company said opening the viewing area is “not a matter of transparency, it’s about accommodating our guests who would like to see how our ice cream is made.”

“Our tour program, at one time, hosted over 225,000 guests per year,” Van Dorf said. “We are happy to once again offer the opportunity to our fans.”

The company also has “Country Store and Ice Cream Parlor” locations in both Brenham and Sylacauga, Ala.

Blue Bell, which has gradually increased its offerings and sales territory post recall, is still using the “test and hold” procedure it agreed on with three state health departments.

The products are tested for pathogens before a batch is allowed to be sold.

The company’s newest flavors are Sweet ‘n Salty Crunch, Cookie Two Step and Southern Blackberry Cobbler.

Blue Bell plans to announce another new flavor this week.

CONTRIBUTED BY HELEN ANDERS Blue Bell Creameries’ iconic image is displayed at the firm’s headquarters in Brenham. Consumers can now visit the plant’s observation deck for free and see how products are made.

RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL / AMERICAN-STATESMAN 2015 Duncan Wolf stocks Blue Bell ice cream at a Walmart in Georgetown in 2015. That year, a Blue Bell recall garnered international attention.