MONTEREY, Calif. — Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. on Friday issued a voluntary recall for certain Dole-branded and private label packaged salads processed at its production facilities in both Springfield, Ohio, and Soledad, California.
All of the affected products contain iceberg lettuce and present a possible health risk linked to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
To date, no illnesses have been linked to the recalled products, the company stated.
The voluntary recall comes 10 days after the company issued a similar recall for bagged salads processed at its production facilities in Bessemer City, North Carolina and Yuma, Arizona.
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Per the latest recall, affected products processed in Springfield are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “W” and “Best if Used By” dates between Dec. 22, 2021, and Jan. 9, 2022. Meanwhile, affected products processed in Soledad are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “B” and “Best if Used By” dates between Dec. 23, 2021, and Jan. 8, 2022. All product lot codes can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the package.
Consumers who still have any of these products in their refrigerators are advised not to consume them and to discard them immediately.
According to Dole, the recall was issued after routine testing indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes on harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in these finished bagged products.
Recalled salad items from the Springfield facility were distributed to several Canadian provinces and the following 23 states: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Recalled salad items from the Soledad facility were distributed to several Canadian provinces and the following 30 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
To see a complete list of product descriptions and related universal product codes, please see the recall notice.
The bacterium can cause listeriosis, which can result in serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, the recall notice stated.
According to the company, no other Dole products, including fresh fruit and field-packed fresh vegetables, are subject to the latest recall.
Retailer and consumer questions about the voluntary recalls should be directed to the Dole Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
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