Don’t Eat These Recalled Salads, FDA Says
If your last grocery shopping or food delivery included packaged salads, you’ll want to check the label to see if the product is under recall due to the risk of Listeria monocytogenes infection, according to a US Food and Drug Administration announcement. Administration (FDA).
And if you feel like you’ve read this article before—perhaps even twice—it’s not déjà vu. In addition to this ongoing recall, Dole Fresh Vegetables previously voluntarily recalled its packaged salads due to Listeria concerns in both October and December 2021 . If you kept buying packaged salads after these incidents, here’s what you need to know about the latest recall.
Why Dole salads are being recalled
This time it’s technique. Specifically, when Dole tested the equipment the company uses to harvest raw iceberg lettuce, they found Listeria monocytogenes . At present, no illnesses have been reported associated with these bagged salads. In addition, no additional Dole products, including other fresh fruits and vegetables, are subject to the recall and are safe to consume, according to the FDA.
What salads are included in the review?
Dole recycles each of the 72 packaged salads that are part of the recall, but they were also sold under their own brands at retailers such as Kroger, Aldi, Walmart and others. In addition to Dole, brand names for these salad products include Marketside, President’s Choice, Kroger, Little Salad Bar, and HEB. A complete list of products, including their brand names, size, and UPC, can be found on the FDA website .
All recalled Dole-branded and private-label packaged salads have been processed at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Springfield, Ohio and Soledad, California and contain iceberg lettuce.
How to identify recalled salads
If you currently have any of the products listed on the FDA website in your refrigerator, look at the product batch code in the top right corner of the package (see image below). If it starts with the letter ” W ” and has a “Best Used” date between December 22, 2021 and January 9, 2022, then it is part of the recall, as are products with a code beginning with a letter. ” B ” and have a “Best if used” date between December 23, 2021 and January 8, 2022.
The recalled salads were sold in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan .
What to do if you remember the salad
The FDA is urging consumers who have any of these products to throw them away immediately. And while the FDA doesn’t mention it in their guidance, you should also be able to return any of the recalled products to your place of purchase for a full refund. If you have eaten any of the recalled salads and feel unwell, contact your healthcare provider to report your symptoms and get help.
If you have questions about a voluntary recall, you can contact the Dole Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Pacific Time.