Dole recalls salad processed in Springfield facility

A large food company with a production facility in Springfield has recalled its packaged salads due to those products presenting a possible health risk related to listeria.

Dole Fresh Vegetables recently announced that is voluntarily recalling from the market company-branded as well as private labeled packaged salads that were processed in its Springfield and Soledad, California, production facilities.

Representatives of the company said in a recent release that there have been no illnesses linked to the recently recalled products as of Friday.

The reason for the recall was stated by the company as being due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, according to a release from Dole related to the recall.

The release stated that salads that have been recalled and were processed in Springfield have been identified by a product code beginning with the letter “W” and a “Best if Used By” date of between Dec. 22, 2021, and Jan. 9, 2022.

Salads that have been recalled and were processed in Soledad have been identified by a product code beginning with the letter “B” and a “Best if Used By” date of between Dec. 23, 2021 and Jan. 8, 2022.

Product codes are located in the upper righthand corner of those salad packages. Representatives of the company also stated that consumers who still may have any of the recently recalled products in their refrigerators are urged not to consume the product and to discard it immediately.

The voluntary recall notification was issued on Friday after harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in the finished products related to the recall was tested by Dole and found to contain Listeria monocytogenes.

Recalled salad items from both Springfield and Soledad were distributed to a number of states, according to the release from Dole.

No other Dole products, including fresh fruit and field-packed fresh vegetables, are part of the voluntary recall and are safe to consume, representatives of the company said.

Those with additional questions about the voluntary recalls can contact the Dole Consumer Response Center by calling 800-356-3111.

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