Due to the possibility of Listeria contamination, Dole voluntarily recalled some salads on December 22, 2021. This was a precautionary recall and not one that was mandated by the FDA.
In order to ensure that the outbreak is not a serious problem, they will be sanitizing the factories where the salads were processed, resulting in a temporary closure of those locations.
A random Dole packaged salad sample was tested and a strain of Listeria was found within it. It takes up to four weeks for the symptoms to occur once someone is infected, and indeed that did happen.
17 illnesses and two deaths have been reported as a result of Dole salads being contaminated. The outbreak is being investigated by the CDC, and Fresh Express is also being investigated due to another Listeria outbreak. In the case of Fresh Express, the outbreak may have caused 10 illnesses and one death.
Diarrhea is a common symptom of Listeria sickness and the other symptoms may mimic food poisoning. Those symptoms could include a headache, fever, confusion, convulsions, loss of balance, and aching muscles.
In particular, pregnant women should be cautious due to some additional complications, including premature birth. After birth, the death of the baby may also occur or they could be seriously ill.
If you have eaten prepackaged salads in the past few weeks that could have been part of the recall, your healthcare provider should be notified and you should monitor for any symptoms caused by Listeria.
Bags and clamshells from Dole are part of the recall, including salad sold under different brands, such as Ahold, HEB, Kroger, Lidl, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, Naturally Better, Nature’s Promise, President’s Choice, and Simply Nature.
If the dates on those packages are “best if used by” between 11/30/21 and 1/9/22, they should be thrown away and any surfaces they may have come in contact with should be sanitized.
Check any Fresh Express salad you may have as well. The use by dates can also be used to determine if they are among those that are being recalled. Check for a product code that falls between Z324 and Z350.
Some of the brand names under which the Fresh Express salads were sold include Bowl & Basket, Fresh Express, Giant Eagle, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, O Organics, Signature Farms, Simply Nature, Weis Fresh from the Field, and Wellsley Farms Organic. Throw away any salads that meet the criteria.