Photo: Rosamar (Shutterstock)
If your last shopping trip or food delivery included bagged salads, you’re going to want to check the label to see if it’s one of the products being recalled over a risk of contamination from Listeria monocytogenes, according to an announcement from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
And if it feels as though you’ve read this article before—possibly even twice—it’s not déjà vu. In addition to this current recall, Dole Fresh Vegetables issued previous voluntary recalls of their bagged salad products because of Listeria concerns in both October and December 2021. If, after those incidents, you’ve continued to purchase packaged salads, here’s what to know about the latest recall.
Why the Dole salads are being recalled
This time, it’s the machinery. Specifically, when Dole tested the equipment the company uses to harvest raw iceberg lettuce, they found Listeria monocytogenes. At this time, no illnesses linked to these bagged salads have been reported. Also, no additional Dole products, including their other fresh fruit and vegetables, are part of this recall and are safe to consume, the FDA says.
Which salads are part of the recall?
Dole processes each of the 72 types of packaged salads that are part of the recall, but they were also sold under in-house store labels at retailers like Kroger, Aldi, Walmart, and others. In addition to Dole, the brand names of these salad products include Marketside, President’s Choice, Kroger, Little Salad Bar, and HEB. A full list of the products—including their brand names, size, and UPC—can be found on the FDA website.
All of the recalled Dole-branded and private label packaged salads were processed at the company’s Springfield, Ohio and Soledad, Calif. production facilities, and contain iceberg lettuce.
How to identify recalled salad products
If you currently have any of the products listed on the FDA website in your fridge, look at the product lot code on the upper right-hand corner of the package (see image below). If it begins with the letter “W” and has a “Best if Used By” date between Dec. 22, 2021 and Jan. 9, 2022, then it’s part of the recall—as are products with a code that begins with the letter “B” and have a “Best if Used By” date between Dec. 23, 2021 and Jan. 8, 2022.
The recalled salad products were sold in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
What to do if you have recalled salad
The FDA urges consumers who have any of these products to throw them out immediately. And although the FDA doesn’t mention this in their guidance, you should also be able to return any of the recalled products to the place of purchase for a full refund. If you’ve eaten any of the recalled salads and are feeling ill, contact your health care provider to report your symptoms and receive care.
If you have questions about the voluntary recalls, you can reach the Dole Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111, Monday—Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.
