The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) advises consumers that Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is withdrawing from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads processed at one of its production facilities as part of an investigation into a listeriosis outbreak.
The production facility is located in Springfield, Ohio. In addition to withdrawing these products, Dole is temporarily suspending operations at this facility. This product was available in Rhode Island. Dole representatives have been contacting retailers and are in the process of confirming that the withdrawn product has been removed from the supply chain.
The packaged salads were sold under the brand names: Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, and President's Choice. Products subject to the withdrawal have a product code beginning with the letter "A" in the upper right-hand corner of the package. Other Dole products, including fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and packaged salads with product codes beginning with the letters "B" or "N", are not part of this withdrawal.
Since September 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been collaborating with public health officials in several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of listeriosis. Twelve people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from six states (Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania). All 12 people were hospitalized, and 1 person from Michigan died as a result of listeriosis.
Retailers and consumers who have any remaining product with an "A" code should not consume it, and are urged to discard it. Retailer and consumer questions about the withdrawal should call the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111. (Hours are 8:00 a.m. -8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.)
Retailers that carry Dole products produced in its Springfield, Ohio plant (with the product code beginning with the letter "A" in the upper right-hand corner of the package) should check their store shelves and warehouse inventories to confirm that no withdrawn product is available for purchase.
Other states impacted by this withdrawal are Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Listeriosis is an infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. A person with listeriosis usually has fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.