On Dec. 22, Dole Fresh Vegetables announced a voluntary recall of private label packaged salad products that were processed in two of its facilities, including products sold at Kroger supermarkets under the Kroger brand name. Besides Dole and Kroger, affected items were sold in multiple formats under different brand names, including Ahold, Lidl, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, Naturally Better, Nature’s Promise, and Simply Nature. Products that are part of the recall can be identified by locating the product lot code in the upper right-hand corner of the package and checking if it begins with either the letter “N” or “Y.” It will also have a “Best if Used By” date between Nov. 30, 2021, and Jan. 8, 2022. RELATED: If You Have This Condiment in Your Fridge, Get Rid of It Now, FDA Warns. The recalled salad items were sold in 25 states. They include Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb The notice specifies that products produced at certain Dole facilities are not included in the recall, which can be identified with production or lot codes start with “W” or “B.” Additionally, no other Dole products, including “ready-to-eat” salad products, fresh fruit, and field-packed fresh vegetables have been recalled and these items pose no immediate health risk. According to the recall notice, the decision to pull the products from shelves was made when a single package of Dole-branded Garden Salad processed in its Bessemer City, North Carolina plant and a single package of shredded iceberg lettuce processed in its Yuma, Arizona plant tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in a random sampling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eating food contaminated with Listeria may cause symptoms similar to typical cases of food poisoning. However, some people may experience more severe symptoms, including confusion, convulsions, fever, headaches, loss of balance, muscle aches, and a stiff neck. In pregnant people, the condition may lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, or potentially fatal infections in newborns. And in rare cases, Listeria infection can be fatal. Immunocompromised individuals, older adults, and pregnant people are more likely to develop severe symptoms or die from exposure to Listeria. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. The recall urges anyone who may still have any of these products in their refrigerators to not to consume them and throw them away immediately. Anyone with questions about the recall can also contact Dole Consumer Response Center directly by calling 800-356-3111 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST. RELATED: This Product Sold at Home Depot and Costco Has Been Recalled After a Death.
