Dole Recalls Bagged Salads Due To Listeria Risk

Dole Fresh Vegetables is temporarily suspending operations at its Springfield, Ohio production facility, and is voluntarily withdrawing all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads processed at that location from the market due to ongoing listeria concerns.

Dole is recalling all salad mixes from its Springfield, Ohio-based production facility due to listeria concerns.
Photo Credit: *Ed Ahearn*

The possibly affected salads can be identified by the letter "A" at the beginning of the manufacturing code found on the package.
Photo Credit: *CDC*

Jay Waitkus

01/25/2016 8:00 a.m.

Since September, the Centers for Disease Control has been collaborating with public health officials in several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate a multistate outbreak of listeria, which can cause a serious, life-threatening illness.

Twelve people infected with the outbreak strain of listeria have been reported from six states since July 5, including four from New York.

All 12 ill people reported being hospitalized, including one person from Michigan who died as a result of listeriosis. One of the illnesses reported was in a pregnant woman.

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence available at this time indicates that packaged salads produced at the processing facility in Springfield are likely the source of the outbreak.

The packaged salads were sold under various brand names, including Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar and President's Choice Organics.

On January 21, Dole reported to the CDC that it had stopped production at the processing facility.

The company also reported that it is withdrawing packaged salads currently on the market that were produced at the plant.

Products subject to the withdrawal are identified with a product code beginning with the letter “A” in the upper right-hand corner of the package.

At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that packaged salads produced at other Dole processing facilities in the United States are linked to illness.

Other Dole products, including fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and packaged salads from Dole’s other processing facilities with product codes beginning with the letters “B” or “N” are not part of the recall.

Dole customer service representatives have been contacting retailers, and are in the process of confirming that the withdrawn product has been removed from the supply chain.

Retailers and consumers who have any remaining product with an “A” code should discard it.

Retailer and consumer questions about the recall should be directed to the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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