Photo: Dayah Shaltes (Shutterstock)
Technically, washing lettuce or other greens and preparing them for a salad isn’t difficult, or even particularly time-consuming—but when it’s 7 p.m. and you’re exhausted and still need to get some form of dinner on the table, bagged salad can come in handy. That is, unless it’s potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause infections with symptoms that include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
That’s why Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall on some of its salad-in-a-bag offerings, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reports. Here’s how to know if the greens in your fridge are included.
Dole bagged salads included in the recall
At this point, there have been no reported illnesses connected to the recalled salad, according to the FDA. In this case, the precautionary recall was issued because a single sample of garden salad yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test conducted by the Department of Agriculture in Georgia.
The impacted products were distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia, the FDA reports.
Each of the four recalled products are bagged salads labeled as “garden salad,” but were sold under different brands at various retailers:
24-ounce Dole Garden Salad
Lot codes: N28205A and N28205BUPC code: 0-71430-01136-2Best if used by: 10-25-2124-ounce Marketside Classic Salad
Lot codes: N28205A and N28205BUPC code: 6-81131-32895-1Best if used by: 10-25-21Sold at Walmart12-ounce Kroger Brand Garden Salad
Lot codes: N28211A and N28211BUPC code: 0-11110-91036-3Best if used by: 10-25-21Sold at Kroger, as well as other retailers in their “family of companies,” including Fry’s, Pick ’n Save, and RalphsG/O Media may get a commission
12-ounce Salad Classics Garden Salad
Lot codes: N28211A and N28211BUPC code: 6-88267-18443-7Best if used by: 10-25-21Sold at Stop & ShopThe lot code and “best if used by” date are located on the upper right corner of the bag, and the UPC code is located on the bottom left corner of the back of the bag. The good news is that because these products are beyond their“best if used by” date, they should no longer be sold in stores.
What to do if you’ve purchased the recalled salad
If you have any of the recalled salads in the fridge, the FDA says that you should should “not consume it, but rather discard it.” While the recall announcement doesn’t provide any information on how to receive a refund for your bagged salad purchase, you can start by contacting the retailer where you bought it.
If they’re unable to help, contact the Dole Consumer Center at 1-800-356-3111. According to the FDA’s announcement, the consumer center is open 24 hours a day, but Dole’s website indicates that it’s only open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.
