In defense of Blue Bell

Regarding “Trust shaken” (Page (B8, Thursday), your editorial about Blue Bell and how they violated the public trust was disappointing and simply misleading. While positive toward Blue Bell product quality and loyalty toward their employees, the editorial was very negative toward the company’s position on public trust. It would appear that the last priority for Blue Bell is public trust. Yet, over the past 100-plus years, they have built a great reputation with their customers regarding quality and trust in their products.

You suggest that Blue Bell should have recalled all of its products at the first indication of the listeria problem. The truth is that the early problem was much undefined and its overall impact unknown.

Blue Bell took immediate action when the initial problem was defined in small cups of ice cream generated at the Oklahoma plant. Only over time was it determined that the problem was more widespread than Oklahoma, at which time Blue Bell recalled all products pending solution of the problem. Blue Bell responded as appropriately as they could as facts were determined. If they had known that the problem was more widespread in the beginning, there is little doubt that they would have responded as they have now. This is a tough time for Blue Bell, and most if not all of their customers hope that the problems can be fixed and their outstanding products will be back on the shelves soon. I would say that how Blue Bell has responded to this problem will only strengthen public trust in the future as opposed to weakening it. John I. Prestwood,

Sugar Land