- Pre-mixed salad kits have exploded in popularity in recent years, but just like every other food product, they are subject to recalls every now and again.
- A popular brand of salad kits just recalled one variety due to the presence of undeclared allergens which may produce severe and even life-threatening reactions for people who are sensitive to them.
- The brand, Dole, says the kits were distributed across a total of 17 states, making this a fairly large-scale recall effort.
We might all still be in the cold grip of Winter (if you live in the north, that is), but that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy a nice, fresh salad when the craving hits. These days, grocery stores are overflowing with salad options, including the oh-so-popular salad kits that include everything you need to whip up a tasty salad in a matter of just a few minutes. Unfortunately, one of the most popular salad kit brands just issued a recall notice that warns individuals to avoid eating one specific variety.
Dole has issued the recall for its Endless Summer Salad Kit which, as the name would suggest, is available all year round. The bad news is that the kits apparently contain undeclared ingredients that could cause severe allergic reactions in certain individuals. Those ingredients — fish and egg — are not included on the product label. That’s bad news, as these can be serious allergies that can cause a lot of suffering and potentially even threaten the life of someone who eats it without realizing it.
The good news here is that the company notes in the recall bulletin that it has not received any complaints from people who have eaten the salad kits. That’s a positive sign, but it doesn’t mean that this recall isn’t serious.
But how exactly do fish and egg make it into a salad kit that isn’t supposed to have it? According to Dole, an error during the preparation of the kits results in the wrong dressing and toppings being included in the kits. It was a simple mix-up, but it could have serious consequences if someone with a fish or egg allergy accidentally eats the salad without realizing what it contains.
The product lot code and Best if Used by Date is located on the upper right corner of each bag and the UPC code is located on the bottom right corner of the back of each bag. The impacted products were distributed in AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MS, ND, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, WA, and WI. Consumers are advised to check product they have in their homes and discard any product matching the production description, UPC codes, product lot code and Best if Used by Date.
The UPC code for the recalled product, the dates, and the Lot Codes can be found on the official recall bulletin. If you have these salad kits, you are advised to not eat them and just throw them away. You can contact the company and request a refund using the information on the recall page.
