Minnesota + Wisconsin Included In Dole Bagged Iceberg Salad Recall

Usually the problem with bagged salads and recalls is with romaine lettuce.  Not this time.

A wide-spread voluntary recall has been issued by Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. - affecting numerous Dole-branded and private label-packaged salads.  Each of them source from processing at either Dole's Sprinigfield, OH plant or its Soledad, CA plant.  The common ingredient in these recalled salads is iceberg lettuce.  The concern is listeria.

According to details released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the recall effort was initiated when harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in these finished products was tested by Dole.  Those tests came back showing that they contained Listeria monocytogenes.

Identification of the recalled bagged salad products starts with the product code:

• Products sourcing from the Springfield, OH plant have a product code that starts with the letter "W" and a Best if Used By date between December 22, 2021 and January 9, 2022.
• Products sourcing from the Soledad, CA plant have a product code that starts with the letter "B" and a Best if Used By date between December 23, 2021 and January 8, 2022.

Product codes are located in the upper-right hand corner of the package.

No other Dole products are included in the recall at this time.  There have been no known reports of medical issues or illness reported in connection with the recalled bagged salads.

The lengthy, complete list of Dole bagged salads included in this particular recall is available on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.

Listeria infections can be very serious.  According to the FDA:

"Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women."

Dole has advised retailers and warehouse centers across the country to search their inventory and pull affected stock.  Consumers who believe that they have the recalled bagged salad product in their possession should not consume it; discard the product immediately.  Questions can be directed to Dole Consumer Response Center:  1-800-356-3111.