Dole Fresh Vegetables had released a voluntary recall order for some of their bagged spinach salad due to possible salmonella risk.
The batches of products being withdrawn are those with A27409B and A27409A codes and an "Enjoy By" date of Oct. 15. Both labels are found in the upper right portion of the product package. The recalled product also has a Universal Product Code of 7143000976, which can be found on the back of the package just below the barcode.
The bagged salads were delivered to 13 U.S. states including Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin. The company is now in close coordination with regulatory authorities.
So far, no illnesses have been documented in association with the case.
The recall was issued as a precautionary measure after the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development found salmonella in a salad sample during a random testing.
In the press release published in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Dole clarified that no other variations of salads are affected by the measure. Only those with the abovementioned codes and "Enjoy By" date are affected.
Members of the public who still have the affected product should immediately get rid of it to avoid consumption.
"Retailers and consumers with questions may call the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at (800) 356-3111," advised the food company.
Customer service staff from Dole Fresh Vegetables are currently getting in touch with retail suppliers and are carrying out actions to ensure that the affected products are now being taken away from the market.
Salmonella is a bacterial microorganism that can get in food and infect those who consume it. The clinical manifestations of the infection include fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The infection mainly affects those who are very young, very old and those with weak immune systems. Generally healthy individuals do not typically acquire serious illness.
As per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infection may be diagnosed by collecting stool or blood samples. Once the specimen yields positive for salmonella, further investigation can be performed to determine the specific characteristics of the bacteria.
Measures to prevent salmonella primarily involves cooking food thoroughly and avoiding raw and undercooked poultry and meat products. Fresh produce should be washed meticulously. There is no vaccine to prevent salmonella infection.
Photo: Jason Bachman | Flickr
