If you’re under the impression that you’ve seen quite a few salad recalls recently, that’s because it’s true. In the past few weeks alone, we’ve witnessed multiple huge recall actions: a Taylor Farms recall, Fresh Express recall, and Dole recall are among them. That’s why it’s important not to mistake the brand new Dole salad recall for the old one. The early January recall covers iceberg lettuce and various other types of salad sold in the US and Canada.
Like the Dole recall from mid-December, the new action follows the detection of the same pathogen that might have contaminated iceberg lettuce sold under Dole brands last time. That’s Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can lead to very serious infections in some people.
The Dole salad recall from January
Dole announced the new recall on January 7th. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the press release on the same day.
The company issued the voluntary recall notification after testing harvest equipment for the raw iceberg lettuce. Dole discovered traces of Listeria bacteria, which prompted the new salad recall.
The January 7th recall concerns all Dole brand and private label brands processed at the company’s Springfield, OH and Soledad, CA plants.
The products from Springfield have lot codes beginning with the letter “W” and a “Best if Used By” date between December 22nd, 2021, and January 9th, 2022. These products were available for sale in the following states: AL, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, and WI. Furthermore, Dole sold salad products from Springfield in these Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.
Separately, the products from Soledad have product lot codes that start with the letter “B.” Furthermore, the “Best if Used By” date is between December 23rd, 2021, and January 8th, 2022. These were available in plenty of US states, including AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MD, ND, NE, NV, NY, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI.
Similarly, Dole sold them in these Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
The full list of Dole salad products in the recall is quite significant, and it’s available at this link.
Listeria infection symptoms
Consuming products that contain Listeria can lead to infections that might be serious to some categories of people. Young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems are at risk of developing a potentially fatal illness.
Furthermore, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
Most people will experience short-term symptoms that include high fever, severe headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Some of these symptoms might be confused with other illnesses, including COVID-19, which is spiking again right now.
What you should do
If you have any of the Dole salad products in the recall, you should stop consuming them. Instead, throw out any salad bags that you might have in your fridge. Dole says that no other fruit or vegetables are part of the recall. Those are safe to consume.
If you think you’ve experienced symptoms consistent with a Listeria infection, you should contact your doctor. Dole said in the salad recall announcement that it hasn’t received any reports of illness so far.
Finally, make sure you inspect the full announcement to see whether your Dole salad supply is part of the recall. You’ll also find contact information for the company and product photos in the release.
