Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Dole Withdrawals Salad Items Linked to Listeria Outbreak

Dole is conducting a voluntary withdrawal of salad products made in their Springfield, OH facility after being linked to a Listeria outbreak.  In this outbreak, 12 people have been infected with one death. 

According to the CDC, the evidence indicates that
packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield,
Ohio are the likely source.  From the CDC report:

Five (100%) of the five ill people who were asked about packaged
salad reported eating packaged salad in the month before becoming ill. 
Two (100%) of two ill people who specified a brand of packaged salad
reported eating various varieties of Dole brand packaged salads. 

The Ohio Department of Agriculture collected a Dole brand Field Greens packaged salad from a retail location and isolated Listeria.  Laboratory tests showed that the Listeria
isolate from the packaged salad was highly related genetically to
isolates from ill people.  This packaged salad was produced at the
Springfield, Ohio Dole processing facility. 

CDC began investigating this in September of 2015, but as can be seen, there has been only a few cases coming in at a time, making the investigation process more difficult with providing a specific source. 

At this point, it is difficult to comment too much without knowing more information.  Did the plant have an active Listeria control program?  Was it comprehensive in terms of evaluating washing systems and food contact surfaces including buildup/biofilms in those washing systems.  In many facilities, there is a focus on noncontact surfaces (zones 2 and 3) and conducting of preoperational samples rather than operational, but if there was indeed an issue in the process, would it have been identified if the facility was not looking deeper?  Did they know that they had an issue? 

Since September 2015, CDC has been collaborating with public health officials in several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections (listeriosis). 

Listeria can cause a serious, life-threatening illness. 

Twelve people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from six states since July 5, 2015. 

Twelve people were hospitalized, including one person from Michigan who died as a result of listeriosis.  One illness was reported in a pregnant woman. 

Laboratory tests performed on clinical isolates from all 12 ill people showed that the isolates are highly related genetically. 

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence available to date indicate that packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio and sold under various brand names are the likely source of this outbreak. 

Five (100%) of the five ill people who were asked about packaged salad reported eating packaged salad in the month before becoming ill.  Two (100%) of two ill people who specified a brand of packaged salad reported eating various varieties of Dole brand packaged salads. 

The Ohio Department of Agriculture collected a Dole brand Field Greens packaged salad from a retail location and isolated Listeria.  Laboratory tests showed that the Listeria isolate from the packaged salad was highly related genetically to isolates from ill people.  This packaged salad was produced at the Springfield, Ohio Dole processing facility. 

Although the investigation began in September 2015, the source of these illnesses wasn't known until January 2016 when the laboratory result from the packaged salad collected in Ohio linked the illnesses to the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. 

On January 21, 2016, Dole reported to CDC that it had stopped all production at the processing facility in Springfield, Ohio.  The company also reported that it is withdrawing all packaged salads currently on the market that were produced at this facility. 

CDC recommends that consumers do not eat, restaurants do not serve, and retailers do not sell packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio.  These packaged salads were sold under various brand names. 

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 (see the product list at http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/) 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 below), and are sold in the following states and Canadian provinces noted below.  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.  See 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 800-356-3111) (hours are 8:00am-8:00pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday).  Media inquiries should be directed to Bil Goldfield at 818-874-4647. 

Retailers which carry Dole products produced in its Springfield, OH plant (with the product code beginning with the letter “A” in the upper right-hand corner of the package) should check their store shelves and warehouse inventories to confirm that no withdrawn product is available for purchase by consumers.  Dole Fresh Vegetables’ customer service representatives have been contacting retailers, and are in the process of confirming that the withdrawn product has been removed from the supply chain. 

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