Blue Bell Ice Cream Receives Investment From Billionaire

Earlier in the year, ice cream maker Blue Bell issued a huge recall. This is because there were 10 listeria cases that were linked to Blue Bell, which led to Blue Bell to close down their manufacturing plants in Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma. The ice cream was also linked to three deaths in Kansas. However, Blue Bell only temporarily closed them down, as they wanted to disinfect the plants. The company’s products have yet to return to store shelves across the nation.

An investigation by the Federal Drug Administration discovered that Blue Bell was aware that one of its plants had listeria, and this was two years before the company recalled their products.

However, it appears that Blue Bell is ready to bounce back from that, thanks to a massive investment by a billionaire businessman from Texas. According to ABC, Sid Bass, who is an investor and philanthropist, has partnered up with Blue Bell Creameries, which is based in Brenham, TX. Paul Kruse, the CEO and president of Blue Bell, released a statement announcing the partnership.

The CEO of Blue Bell said that the capital that it received from the businessman will help them and it will ensure the return of their product to the market, according to CNBC. The CEO of Blue Bell did not go into specifics in regards to how much the businessman invested, but fans of Blue Bell ice cream appear to welcome the news. According to Fox, one woman said that she loves this, and that she thinks it is a good thing that a Texan is reaching out to his fellow Texans and helping them out. She also said that she was concerned about Blue Bell’s workers because they were laid off after the recall.

The outbreak could cost Blue Bell a whole lot of money. As a matter of fact, Blue Bell could end up spending around $200 million, and this is because Blue Bell needs to rebuild production facilities. That may not be the end of Blue Bell’s problems.

Earlier this week, The U.S. Department of Justice said that it was keeping an eye on on the investigation, and it is possible that it may indict Blue Bell for this. However, if the Justice Department does indict the company, then it may seek fines or jail time, but it could take years for a decision to be made. Also, there is no official word yet on when the company’s products will be back on shelves.

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