This is a massive recall affecting product shipped all across the country and into Canada. One would expect that this finding represents a low risk scenario. First, is the species found on the equipment a transient organism or was it part of an endemic contamination on the equipment? With that, was the species pathogenic? What was the level and what was the likelihood it actually contaminated product? Was the lettuce treated afterwards in a way that would have removed surface contamination? Was this testing part of broader Listeria investigation or was it just routine testing?
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dole-fresh-vegetables-inc-announces-voluntary-recall-certain-salads-processed-its-springfield-oh-and
Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. Announces Voluntary Recall for Certain Salads Processed at its Springfield, OH and Soledad, CA Facilities and Containing Iceberg Lettuce Due to Possible Health Risk from Listeria monocytogenes
Summary
Company Announcement Date: January 07, 2022
FDA Publish Date: January 07, 2022
Product Type: Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement: Due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name: Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.
Brand Name: Dole
Product Description: Salads
Company Announcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –Monterey, CA–January 7, 2022–Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads described below processed at its Springfield, OH and Soledad, CA production facilities containing iceberg lettuce, due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes.
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.
Products subject to the voluntary recall from Springfield, OH are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “W” and a “Best if Used By” date between December 22, 2021 and January 9, 2022. Products subject to the voluntary recall from Soledad, CA are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “B” and a “Best if Used By” date between December 23, 2021 and January 8, 2022. The product lot codes are located in the upper-right-hand corner of the package (see example below). Consumers who still have any of these products in their refrigerators are urged not to consume the product and to discard it immediately. No illnesses have been reported with the products being recalled to date.
This voluntary recall notification is being issued after harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in these finished products was tested by Dole and found to contain Listeria monocytogenes.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –Monterey, CA–January 7, 2022–Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads described below processed at its Springfield, OH and Soledad, CA production facilities containing iceberg lettuce, due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes.
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.
Products subject to the voluntary recall from Springfield, OH are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “W” and a “Best if Used By” date between December 22, 2021 and January 9, 2022. Products subject to the voluntary recall from Soledad, CA are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “B” and a “Best if Used By” date between December 23, 2021 and January 8, 2022. The product lot codes are located in the upper-right-hand corner of the package (see example below). Consumers who still have any of these products in their refrigerators are urged not to consume the product and to discard it immediately. No illnesses have been reported with the products being recalled to date.
This voluntary recall notification is being issued after harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in these finished products was tested by Dole and found to contain Listeria monocytogenes.
Listing of products subject to each of these recalls - Link (https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dole-fresh-vegetables-inc-announces-voluntary-recall-certain-salads-processed-its-springfield-oh-and)
Recalled salad items from the Springfield facility were distributed in the states of 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. Additionally, these salads were distributed in the following Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Recalled salad items from the Soledad facility were distributed in the states of 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. Additionally, these salads were distributed in the following Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
No other Dole products, including fresh fruit and field-packed fresh vegetables, are part of these voluntary recalls and are safe to consume.
Dole retailers have been advised to check store shelves and warehouse inventories to confirm that no recalled product is available for purchase by consumers.
Retailer and consumer questions about the voluntary recalls should be directed to the Dole Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111, Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 3:00pm Pacific Time.
Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials.
Recalled salad items from the Springfield facility were distributed in the states of 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. Additionally, these salads were distributed in the following Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Recalled salad items from the Soledad facility were distributed in the states of 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. Additionally, these salads were distributed in the following Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
No other Dole products, including fresh fruit and field-packed fresh vegetables, are part of these voluntary recalls and are safe to consume.
Dole retailers have been advised to check store shelves and warehouse inventories to confirm that no recalled product is available for purchase by consumers.
Retailer and consumer questions about the voluntary recalls should be directed to the Dole Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111, Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 3:00pm Pacific Time.
Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials.
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