Stores Recalling Dole Prepackaged Salads for Listeria Identified

Food Poisoning Bulletin has visited the web sites of the major grocery stores around the country to see which of them have issued recalls for the Dole prepackaged salads linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. These recall notices not only will help consumers determine if they purchased the recalled products, but they also help identify the names of some of the recalled products.

The stores issuing recalls are: Giant, Kroger, ALDI, Price Chopper, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Schnucks, Meijer, ShopRite, Stop n Shop, Food 4 Less, Jay C, FoodsCo, and PriceRite. Other stores may have also issued recalls; this is not a definitive list. Remember that the recalled salads were shipped to these states: 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. The brand names the salads were sold under include Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, and President’s Choice Organics. We don’t know if the salads were sold at restaurants, although the CDC does tell restaurants not to serve the recalled products.

We have listed the specific products recalled at Kroger for your convenience. This gives you an idea of the size of the recall, since the products include many variations including Baby Kale, Italian Blend, Classic Iceberg, Baby Spring Mix, Field Greens, Southwest Salad Kit, Endless Summer Salad Kit, Classic Coleslaw, and many others. And some of the recalled products are organic.

Dole has not listed all of the types of prepackaged salads and greens that have been recalled. Kroger may not have sold all of the available products, so be aware that other salad types may be part of the recall. And not all of these stores in all of these states may have sold the recalled products.

Remember that the recalled products were all made at the Dole Ohio plant. They have the letter “A” at the beginning of the manufacturing code that is stamped on the package near the “Enjoy By” or “Use By” date. Those are the products that consumers should discard.

The symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes include flu-like fever and muscle aches, upset stomach or diarrhea, stiff neck, headache, loss of balance, confusion, or convulsions. Pregnant women, who may only have a mild flu-like illness, can suffer serious complications from this type of infection, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and infection in the newborn baby.

If you ate any of these recalled Dole prepackaged salad mixes or greens, and have experienced these symptoms, please see your doctor. The only way to tell if you have listeriosis is with a blood test. And remember that this is a treatable illness. The symptom of listeriosis can take up to 70 days to appear, but most people become ill within a few days or a few weeks.

Finally, clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution if you purchased any recalled products. Listeria bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, so it’s important to clean so other foods are not contaminated.