Georgia Among 23-State Bagged Salad Recall by Dole Fresh Vegetables Following Listeria Outbreak

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc., is temporarily suspending operations at its Springfield, Ohio production facility, and is voluntarily withdrawing from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads processed at that location, following a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) inquiry that traced a listeria outbreak back to the facility.

(Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling bagged salads in 23 states, including Georgia. Consumers and retailers in possession of bagged salad featuring production codes that start with the letter "A" should depose of the salads immediately. Image courtesy Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.)

Products subject to the voluntary withdrawal are identified with a product code beginning with the letter “A” in the upper right-hand corner of the package (see example, pictured right), and are sold in twenty-three states including Georgia.

This suspension and withdrawal is being performed voluntarily by Dole out of an abundance of caution, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control. Consumers can learn more about this withdrawal at www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/.

No additional Dole facilities are affected. Other Dole products, including fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and packaged salads from Dole’s other processing facilities (with product codes beginning with the letters “B” or “N”), are not part of this voluntary withdrawal.

Retailers and consumers who have any remaining product with an “A” code should not consume it, and are urged to discard it. Retailer and consumer questions about the voluntary withdrawal should be directed to the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at 1(800)356-3111 (hours are 8:00AM - 8:00PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday).