Jeni's Shuts Down Again After Second Listeria Discovery

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams has once again halted production and shut down all scoop shops due to Listeria. CEO John Lowe posted a statement on the company's website Friday, saying a second discovery was made in its kitchen.

"We have found Listeria in our production facility again," Lowe said. "We discovered the Listeria through routine swabbing as part of our monitoring program. We stopped production earlier this week and have been investigating where and how it may have re-entered the facility. We have a theory and are testing that theory. We don't yet have a timeline for the resumption of production."

Jeni's first discovered Listeria in a product sample in late April. The company issued a total recall and spent $2.5 million in an effort to cleanse its kitchen. Production resumed on May 13, and scoop shops across the country reopened on May 22.

In his statement, Lowe said Jeni's resumed production only after all traces of Listeria were gone, and that the ice cream sold in recent weeks posed no threat to consumers.

"While we would most certainly prefer that Listeria never enter our facility, we do take solace in the fact that our protocols and testing have worked: We found the Listeria before it got into ice cream we served," Lowe said. "This finding and our ceasing of production enables us the opportunity to prevent contamination and continue to ensure the safety of our customers."

Jeni's operates three scoop shops in Atlanta: Westside Provisions District, Decatur Square, and Krog Street Market.