After being linked to a salad Listeria outbreak, Dole’s plant in Springfield, Ohio has reopened, according to a press release on the company's website. The outbreak included 19 confirmed cases in the U.S. and one fatality. In Canada, 14 people were sickened and three of them died, although health officials in Canada have not been determined if Listeria was the cause of those deaths. All case patients in both countries were hospitalized. One illness was reported in a pregnant woman. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency completed their investigations of the Springfield, plant, according to the statement. Production has restarted and will ramp up in the coming weeks. “We’re grateful for the support of all our employees … [Read more...]
After Deadly Salad Listeria Outbreak, Dole Restarts Production at Springfield Plant
Dole Salad Listeria Outbreak in the U.S. Ends with 19 Sick, 1 dead
The Listeria outbreak linked to salads produced at Dole's plant in Springfield, Ohio has ended with 19 people sickened and 1 death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Canada 14 people were sickened and three of them died, although health officials in Canada have not been determined if Listeria was the cause of those deaths. All case patients in both countries were hospitalized. One illness was reported in a pregnant woman. Health officials used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to determine that the isolates of case patients in both countries were closely related genetically. Genetic, epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicated a link between packaged salad products produced at Dole's Springfield plant and the outbreak of … [Read more...]
In Canada, Dole Salad Listeria Outbreak Ends
In Canada, the Listeria outbreak linked to salads made at Dole's plant in Springfield, Ohio has ended after sickening 14 people. All of those sickened were hospitalized, and three of them died, although health officials have not been determined if Listeria contributed to the cause of these deaths. In the U.S., the outbreak is still ongoing with 18 people in nine states sickened and one fatality. The illnesses in Canada were reported between May 2015 and February 2016 in five provinces: Ontario (9), Quebec (2), New Brunswick (1), Prince Edward Island (1), and Newfoundland and Labrador (1). The average age of those sickened is 78, 64 percent are female. Lab tests confirmed a link between recalled packaged salad products and the outbreak of listeriosis in five provinces. Recalls were … [Read more...]
Dole Found Listeria in Springfield Plant Years Before Outbreak
Years before salads produced at Dole's plant in Springfield, Ohio were linked to Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada, the company found Listeria there, FDA inspection records show. One of the records, obtained by Food Poisoning Bulletin through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, shows the company found Listeria in the plant in early 2014 and "infrequently" before that. The records, dating back to a 2012 inspection triggered by a Listeria recall of American Blend salad, offer a glimpse inside the facility which has been closed since January when the outbreaks were announced. During the inspections, FDA investigators noted the plant is not constructed in a manner that allows floors and walls to be kept in good repair. Specifically, they cite cracks in the … [Read more...]
Some Who Ate Recalled Dole Salads Still Watching for Listeria Symptoms
Listeria has such a long incubation period that some people who ate Dole salads recalled in January still have a month to watch themselves for symptoms of an infection. Dole recalled the salads after it was linked salads produced at Dole's facility in Springfield, Ohio and sold under a variety of brand names was discovered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak has sickened 18 people; one person has died. The recalled salads were sold under the following names: Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, and President’s Choice. The manufacturing code found underneath the “enjoy by” date of potentially affected salads begins with the letter “A.” They were sold at Giant, Kroger, ALDI, Price Chopper, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Schnucks, … [Read more...]
Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Dole Salads Expands to 9 States, 18 Sick
The deadly Listeria outbreak linked to Dole prepackaged salads has expanded to nine states sickening 18 people, one of whom has died, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All 18 people were hospitalized; one of them was a pregnant woman. Since the last update from the CDC on January 28, the outbreak has spread to one more state - Ohio, and grown to include three more illnesses. Health officials used DNA "fingerprinting" to identify the outbreak. The first illness was reported July 15, 1015, the most recent illness reported was on January 31, 2016. Laboratory tests and epidemiologic evidence indicate that bagged salads produced at Dole's Springfield plant are the likely source of this outbreak, according to the CDC. These salads … [Read more...]
For Dole in Springfield, Listeria Not a New Problem, a Timeline
Last week, Food Poisoning Bulletin reported that in the last four years Dole salads have been recalled for Listeria four times and recalled for Salmonella once. That was incorrect. Since 2012, there have been 10 recalls in the U.S. and Canada for possible Listeria or Salmonella contamination of salads produced by Dole, most of them for Listeria and most of them stemming from Dole’s plant in Springfield, Ohio. In late January, the company opted to close the Springfield plant temporarily after salads produced there were linked to Listeria outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada. Four of the 26 people sickened have died, although Canadian health officials have not determined if the Listeria infections contributed to the cause of death in the three fatalities reported there. The current recalls … [Read more...]
Dole Salads, 4 Listeria Recalls, in 4 Years and 1 for Salmonella
Since 2012, salads made by Dole have been recalled for Listeria four times and for Salmonella once. The current recall, for all salads with product codes beginning with the letter “A”, sold under the following names: Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, and President’s Choice. The letter "A' in the product code currently indicates that the salads were made at the company's plant in Springfield, Ohio which has been closed for two weeks. Tests performed in November 2015 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Consumer Protection Laboratory, confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a bag of salad produced at the plant. The Public Health Agency of Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have performed tests confirming that the strain in … [Read more...]
FDA Test Confirms Listeria in Bagged Salad from Dole’s Springfield Plant
Results on a test performed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a bagged salad made at Dole's facility in Springfield, Ohio confirm the presence of Listeria. The FDA's finding, follows tests performed last week by the Canadian Public Health Agency confirming Listeria in bagged salad from the Dole Springfield plant. The company told U.S. health officials that it stopped production at the plant on January 21, 2016 and began the process of withdrawing products made at the plant from the market. On January 27, 2016, the company stated it was recalling all packaged salads produced in its Springfield, Ohio, facility for possible Listeria contamination. Consumers should not eat, and restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell these recalled packaged salads which can … [Read more...]
Dole Listeria Outbreak Sickens 15 in 8 States
The Listeria outbreak linked to Dole packaged salads has expanded to include 15 people in eight states, according to an update on the investigation released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today. All 15 people were hospitalized. In the U.S., the most recent illness was diagnosed January 3. Salads made at the Dole facility linked to this outbreak were not removed from the market until January 22. The salads were sold under the following names: Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, and President’s Choice. The manufacturing code found underneath the “enjoy by” date of potentially affected salads begins with the letter “A.” They were sold at Giant, Kroger, ALDI, Price Chopper, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Schnucks, Meijer, ShopRite, … [Read more...]
