The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the Dole Listeria outbreak, according to a statement on the company's website. Listeria outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada were linked to salads produced at the company's plant in Springfield, Ohio. Thirty three people were sickened between July 2015 and January 2016, four people died. Years before the outbreak, Dole found Listeria at the plant, Food Poisoning Bulletin was first to report in March 2016 by obtaining records through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The documents show 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 show FDA investigators noted the plant is not constructed in a … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
Salad Recalled for Listeria Leaves Ohio Woman in Coma, Lawsuit Alleges
A lawsuit has been filed against Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. on behalf of an Ohio woman who is in a coma stemming from a Listeria infection she developed after eating a prepackaged salad that she purchased from a grocery store. Prepackaged salads produced at Dole's plant in Springfield, Ohio and sold under Dole and other brand names have been linked to an ongoing Listeria outbreak that has sickened 18 people, one of whom has died, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Al 18 people included in the outbreak have been hospitalized. "While, Listeria is the most virulent foodborne pathogens, this outbreak may be particularly frightening. So far, it has a 100% hospitalization rate," said Eric Hageman, a Minnesota food poisoning lawyer with … [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...]
New York Hard Hit in Dole Listeriosis Outbreak
The state of New York has been hard hit in the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to recalled Dole salad mixes. Four people in that state are sick. At least eighteen people in nine states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria. Whole genome sequencing has been performed on samples from all of these people and the bacteria that sickened them are "highly related" genetically. All eighteen people sickened in this particular outbreak have been hospitalized. One person has died "as a result of listeriosis" according to the CDC. That person lived in Michigan. The most recent illness was diagnosed on January 31, 2016, so it the outbreak numbers may grow. The brand names of the salad mixes include Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, … [Read more...]
After Listeria Recall, NJ Discount Grocery Still Sold Dole Salad
Dole salads linked to a Listeria outbreak were supposed to have been removed from all store shelves January, 21, but at least one discount grocery store in New Jersey was still selling them on February 1, 2016, Food Poisoning Bulletin learned yesterday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was notified of the problem last night. An alert reader contacted Food Poisoning Bulletin yesterday after having second thoughts about the salad purchased on a February 1 shopping trip to the discount grocery store. While at the store, the customer noticed the product code on the salads began with the letter "A" indicating that they were part of the recall. When asked about it, a store manager incorrectly told the customer that the salads were not part of the recall. They are. Photographs of … [Read more...]
Don’t Eat Dole Salads with an “A” Code!
The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has worried many consumers. The FDA has listed states where the recalled salads were sold, but that's not the whole story. It's important to note that the most important factor in this outbreak is where the salads were produced, not where they are being sold. Any salad that has the letter "A" at the start of the manufacturing code, which is a list of numbers stamped onto each product, was produced in the Springfield, Ohio that is part of the recall. Please look through your refrigerator and see if you have purchased any Dole prepackaged salad or greens product that has that code. There is no end date on the recalled products. If you do have some in your home, throw away the product in a sealed container and clean the fridge with a mild bleach … [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...]
