Dole Recall: Several Salad Brands Recalled Over Possible Listeria Risk

Dole Fresh Vegetables is recalling certain salad products with iceberg lettuce because they may pose a health risk. This includes salads sold under Dole and other brand names.

The voluntary recall was issued after Dole tested the equipment used to harvest the raw iceberg lettuce used in the affected products and found that it contained Listeria monocytogenes, the company announced on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

Consumption of food that's contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause Listeriosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is most likely to sicken the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Although Listeriosis may be a mild illness in pregnant women, it can lead to miscarriages, preterm labor and stillbirths and even cause severe disease in the fetus or newborn baby.

No illnesses related to the recalled products have been reported so far.

The salad products affected in the current recall are those that were processed at the company's facilities in Springfield, Ohio, and Soledad, California. The affected products from the Springfield facility have product lot codes that begin with the letter "W" and "Best if Used By" dates from Dec. 22, 2021 to Jan. 9, 2022. The products processed at the Soledad facility have lot codes that begin with "B" and "Best if Used By" dates from Dec. 23, 2021 to Jan. 9, 2022.

This information can be found in the "upper-right-hand corner" of the products' packaging, the company noted. Sample photos of the product codes are available on the FDA website.

The affected products were distributed in several U.S. states, as well as Canadian provinces. The recalled salads processed at the Springfield facility were distributed in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. They were also distributed in New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec in Canada.

The salads processed at the Soledad facility were distributed in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. They were also distributed in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Affected products from these facilities were sold under several brand names. The recalled salads from the Springfield facility came in Dole and other brand names, including Kroger, Little Salad Bar, Marketside and President's Choice. The products from the Soledad facility include Dole, HEB, Marketside and President's Choice salads.

A full list of the affected products and their UPC codes can be found on the FDA website.

"No other Dole products, including fresh fruit and field-packed fresh vegetables, are part of these voluntary recalls and are safe to consume," the company noted.

Those with questions about the recall can contact the company at 800-356-3111.