The Dole Company announced a recall last week on specific products due to possible listeria contamination. Many variations of Dole’s bagged salads that were processed in Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, were found contaminated with listeria.
Dole said “all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads” that were processed at both locations were possibly contaminated. The company added that both locations would temporarily suspend operations and undergo an extensive cleaning and sanitizing protocol.
“Consumers who still have any of these products in their refrigerators are urged not to consume the product and to discard it immediately,” Dole said.
The products suspected of contamination either have the letter “Y” or “N” in the top right corner of the bag, and have a “Best if Used By” date between November 30, 2021 and January 8, 2022.
Dole issued the recall after listeria was discovered in a single package of salad from both processing locations. Dole issued the recall voluntarily “out of an abundance of caution” in collaboration with the FDA and CDC.
The salad from the North Carolina processing location was recalled in 17 states, including Tennessee. In total, there were 177 products recalled from the North Carolina location, including the Dole 10 oz Cesear Kit, the Kroger 5 oz Chopped Kale, and the Marketside 10 oz Spinach.
In all, 23 states were issued the recall, which included Tennessee. The three products affected from the Arizona processing plant were: the Dole 8 oz Shredded Lettuce, Marketside 8 oz Shredded Lettuce, and Kroger 8oz Shredded Lettuce.
The produce company noted, “Dole retailers have been advised to check store shelves and warehouse inventories to confirm that no recalled product is available for purchase by consumers.”
According to the FDA, listeria is an organism that can cause infections when consumed. Although listeria can cause “only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea” in a typical healthy person, it can be fatal to young children, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system. It can also cause miscarriages and stillbirth in pregnant women.
The Tennessee Star reported earlier this year that Dole had a similar recall issued. While the main recall was issued in ten states, Kroger issued a recall for its store brand garden salad, which is manufactured by Dole, due to possible listeria contamination.
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Morgan Nicole Veysey is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Chopped Salad” by Dole.
