Dole Foods, Westlake, Calif., said on Jan. 22 it's withdrawing the sale of salads in three Canadian provinces and more than 20 U.S. states after an outbreak of listeria linked to Dole packaged salads.
According to a report from Reuters, the American Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated one person has died and 12 were hospitalized by a multi-state listeria outbreak tied to Dole’s packaged salads produced in its facility in Springfield, Ohio. There is no evidence that packaged salads produced at other Dole facilities in the U.S. are linked to the illness, the CDC added.
Dole contacted the CDC on Jan. 21, stating it had stopped all production at the Ohio processing facility and was withdrawing all packaged salads produced there, the agency said. Canada's Public Health Agency is investigating after seven people were hospitalized in a listeria outbreak affecting five provinces. In one case, a person has died but it has not been determined if listeria contributed to the death.
“CDC recommends that consumers do not eat, restaurants do not serve, and retailers do not sell packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio,” the CDC said in a statement. Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. stated that products being withdrawn can be identified with a code beginning with the letter A in the upper right-hand corner of the package.
The salads were sold under various brand names, including Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar and President’s Choice. The packaged salads can be identified by the letter A at the beginning of the manufacturing code found on the package.
Dole added that other products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as packaged salads from its other facilities are not part of the withdrawal.
Listeriosis is caused by eating food contaminated with listeria and primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems.
