Blue Bell learned its lesson

If you were planning on picking up a half-gallon of Blue Bell Cookie Two-Step this weekend, you might want to back two steps away from the freezer aisle.

Blue Bell Creameries recalled two flavors of ice cream this week after concerns that cookie dough (from a third-party vendor) contained therein was potentially contaminated with listeria.

This isn’t Blue Bell’s first brush with the bacteria.

Texans will remember how the Brenham-based company was essentially shuttered last spring after a routine inspection found listeria present in some of its products.

At least ten cases of listeria, three of which resulted in death, were linked to the ice cream maker.

Thanks to a cash infusion from Fort Worth’s very own Sid Bass, the popular ice cream producer was able to salvage its reputation and restart production.

A second listeria scare in as many years is certainly less than ideal for business.

But Blue Bell’s response this time around indicates that the company has learned from its past mistakes.

The 2015 recall exposed systemic problems with production and quality controls, resulting in widespread criticism from state and federal regulators.

Blue Bell’s action this week — which the company says was done out of “an abundance of caution” — was a preemptive response. No cases of listeria have yet been reported.

Hopefully, none will be.

And hopefully, the company’s swift action to head off any potential cases of listeria will get Blue Bell back in the business of the Cookie Two-Step before long.

This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Blue Bell learned its lesson."