Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tosses a salad as he assists Chef Lulu during the taping of her cooking show at CINTERMEX Convention and Exhibition Center in Monterrey, N.L. Mexico on November 10, 2006. The Governor assisted Chef Lulu in preparing a meal using California grown produce. (UPI Photo/ Duncan McIntosh/HO). |
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Though the bags of lettuce in question are a day past their use-by date and "highly unlikely" to be still found on retail shelves, the FDA announced today that Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling a variety of lettuces due to concerns over a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes.
The products in question include the following: Italian Blend, Fresh Selections Italian Style Blend, Little Salad Bar Italian Salad and Marketside Italian Style Salad, all marked with the use-by date of March 12.
“No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall,” Dole claimed in a statement released today. And company officials said they are “coordinating closely with regulatory officials.”
The tainted salad products might still be on the shelves or in customer's refrigerators in 15 different states, including: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.
Listeria is a food-borne illness that, according to the CDC, can case "bacteremia, meningitis, fetal loss, and death." Between 2009 and 2011, there were 1,651 cases of listeriosis. More than 20 percent were fatal. Older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of infection.
[FDA]
[CDC]
