Dole Salad Recall 2021: Listeria Contamination Prompts Recall At Kroger, Walmart, ALDI, And Other Retailers

Just two days after Fresh Express issued a recall for several salad products due to listeria concerns, Dole Fresh Vegetables has also issued a recall for a number of packaged salads because they, too, may be contaminated with listeria.

The recall affects all Dole-branded and private-label packaged salads processed at Dole’s Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, processing facilities. Dole has suspended all operations at both facilities and is conducting extensive cleaning and sanitation at the plants.

The affected salads have a product lot code that begins with either the letter “N” or “Y” located in the upper right-hand corner of the package. They also have a best if used by date from Nov. 30, 2021, to Jan. 8, 2022.

The recalled salads were distributed at retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, ALDI and others in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

A full list of salad products being recalled can be viewed here.

Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators for the recalled salads. They should not be consumed and they should be thrown away immediately.

Questions about the recall can be directed to the Dole Consumer Response Center at 1-800-356-3111, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST.

Dole said it is recalling the salads out of an “abundance of caution” after listeria was discovered during random sampling in a single package of Dole-branded Garden Salad produced at its Bessemer City facility by the state of Georgia, and a single package of shredded iceberg lettuce produced at its Yuma plant by the state of Michigan.

Products from Dole’s Springfield, Ohio, and Soledad, California, plants are not included in the recall, including its ready-to-eat salad products, fresh fruit and field-packed fresh vegetables.

Listeria can cause serious and fatal infections in young children, frail and elderly adults, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of listeria infections can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Pregnant women can also suffer from miscarriages and stillbirths.

Individuals who show symptoms of listeria infections should seek immediate medical treatment.