Dive Brief:
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams reported its second case of a listeria contamination via its website last week. The bacteria was found through swabbing, which is part of the company's monitoring process.
- CEO John Lowe said in a statement that each batch of ice cream produced since the company returned to normal operations on May 13 has been rigorously tested and is listeria-free. Jeni's does not have a set date for when it will return to its regular production.
- The machine that loads containers was thought to be the cause of the problem of the initial detection of listeria. As a result, machinery was due for testing and cleaning daily. Jeni's says it is testing a theory on how the bacteria could have gotten into the plant this last time.
Dive Insight:
At the same time Jeni's is reporting its second contamination, Blue Bell Creameries was cleared by the FDA, which officially dropped its investigation. After signing agreements with several states regarding testing of its products, Blue Bell is also preparing to restart production again.