On January 7, Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. recalled another 72 packaged salads because they contain iceberg lettuce that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
The recall involves salads processed at two facilities — Springfield, Ohio, and Soledad, California.
This time around, no illnesses were reported. Instead, the recall was issued because Dole found Listeria on equipment that was used to harvest the raw iceberg lettuce in the packaged salads.
The salads, mixed greens, and salad kits were sold under brand-names including Dole, HEB, Marketside, President’s Choice, Kroger, and Little Salad Bar in more than two dozen states.
The retailers include major grocery stores, including Walmart, HEB, ALDI, and the Kroger family of stores (Kroger, Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralph’s, Food 4 Less, Fry’s, and more).
The recalled products from Springfield, OH can be 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.
The recalled products from Soledad, CA can be 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.
This is the third major recall from Dole in the past two months. In November 2021, Dole recalled garden salads in 10 states after a product tested positive for Listeria. And in December 2021, Dole recalled all salads from two facilities after they were linked to a deadly outbreak of Listeria in 13 states, with illnesses dating back to 2014.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal food poisoning infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Infected pregnant women may also suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth.
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