Throw Out Those Listeria Salads, FDA Says
As convenient as packaged salads are, especially during busy holidays, you can rethink using any of them in your refrigerator. Dole Fresh Vegetables as a precautionary measure recalled all of its salads processed in two plants due to possible health risks from Listeria monocytogenes, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In addition to the Dole-branded salads, the recalled items were also sold in supermarkets and retail stores across the country. Here’s what to know about a recall, including what to do if you’ve purchased any of the potentially contaminated salads.
Why Dole Salads are Remembered
Reviews of bagged salads have become so commonplace that they all seem to blend together. In this case, this is true. You can read the entire saga in this FDA report on the outbreak , but mostly reports of infections associated with this Listeria strain (16 diseases, 12 hospitalizations and two deaths) found in packaged salads are from 2014, and the Centers for Control Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA have been looking into this ever since. A recent inspection has given health officials reason to believe that other packaged salads potentially pose the same health risk.
What salads are included in the review?
While Dole is responsible for handling all of the recalled salads, they were also sold under their own labels at retailers such as Kroger, Aldi, Walmart and others. Besides Dole, brands for these salads include Ahold, Kroger, Lidl, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, Naturally Better, Nature’s Promise, and Simply Nature. A complete list of products, including their brand names, size, and UPC, can be found on the FDA website .
All recalled products were processed at Dole’s Bessemer City, North Carolina and Yuma, Arizona. According to the FDA, products processed at the company’s Springfield, Ohio and Soledad, Calif. Facilities are not included in the recall , as are any other Dole products, including “ready-to-eat” salads, fresh fruit, and fresh field packaged fruit. vegetables are part of the review and are safe to eat.
Recognizing Salad Memories
If you currently have any of the products listed on the FDA website in your refrigerator, look at the product batch code in the upper right corner of the package (see image below). If it starts with the letter “N” or “Y” and has an “Expiration date” between November 30, 2021 and January 8, 2022, then that is part of the revocation.
Recalled salads were sold in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Ohio South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. If you check the product code and it starts with the letter “W” or “B”, it means that they were processed in Springfield and Soledad respectively and can be eaten.
What to do if you remember a salad
The FDA is urging consumers who still have any of these products to throw them away immediately. And while the FDA does not mention this in its guidelines, you should also be able to return any recalled product to the point of purchase for a full refund. Don’t eat the salad.
If you have eaten any of the salads mentioned and are feeling unwell, see your doctor to report your symptoms and get help.
To report a complaint, illness, or serious allergic reaction to the FDA, you can:
- Call the FDA Consumer Complaints Coordinator if you would like to speak directly with the person about your concern.
- Fill out the online voluntary medical observation form .
- Complete a paper MedWatch voluntary form that can be mailed to the FDA.
Finally, if you have questions about voluntary recalls, you can call the Dole Consumer Care Center at 800-356-3111, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm PT.