Two of the people sickened in the deadly Listeria outbreak linked to Dole packaged salads are from Minnesota, according to an update released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A total of 17 cases and two fatalities have now been confirmed as part of the outbreak linked to packaged salads produced by Dole and sold under a variety of brand names.
This outbreak is one of two ongoing fatal Listeria outbreaks linked to prepackaged salads. The other outbreak is linked to salads produced by Fresh Express and sold under the brand names Fresh Express Wellsley Farms, Weis, Simply Nature, Signature Farms, O Organics, Marketside, Market District, Giant Eagle, and Bowl & Basket.
Dole has issued two recalls in connection with this outbreak. One on December 22, 2021, for salads produced at its facilities in Bessemer City, NC and its Yuma, AZ. Another, on January 7, 2022, for salads produced at its facilities in Soledad, CA, and Springfield, OH. For a detailed list of products included in both recalls, click here.
Brand names included in the recall:
- Ahold
- Dole
- Kroger
- Lidl
- Little Salad Bar
- Marketside
- Naturally Better
- Nature’s Promise
- Simply Nature
Stores that sold the recalled salads:
- ALDI
- Food Lion
- Giant
- Hannaford
- HEB
- Kroger
- Lidl
- Loblaws (in Canada)
- Schnucks
- Stop & Shop
- Walmart
- Winn Dixie
Symptoms of a Listeria infection, which can take as long as 7o days to develop, include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, muscle stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriage or stillbirth even if the mother experiences only mild symptoms.
The 17 patients sickened in this outbreak, who range in age from 50 to 94 years, said they first experienced symptoms on dates ranging from August 16, 2014, to December 30, 2021 (Yes, this outbreak has been going on for seven years.) All but one of the illnesses were reported between September 2018 and December 2021. The CDC said it had investigated this outbreak in 2019 and 2020 but wasn’t able to gather enough data to identify the source.
Health officials have interviewed nine of the patients about foods they ate before they became ill. Eight of them reported eating packaged salads and three remembered specific brand names. Two said Dole, one said Little Salad Bar.
The number of illnesses reported from each state is: Idaho (1), Iowa (2), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (2), Nevada (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania, (1), Texas (2), Utah (1) and Wisconsin (1). The fatalities were reported in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Previous Listeria Outbreak Linked to Dole Salads
This is not the first time Dole salads have been linked to a Listeria outbreak. In 2016, a Listeria outbreak linked to Dole packaged salads sickened 19 people in the U.S. and 14 in Canada. One of the patients was a pregnant woman. Four people died. The salads linked to that outbreak were produced at Dole’s facility in Springfield.
Years before the outbreak was announced, Dole had found Listeria at the plant, as Food Poisoning Bulletin was first to report in March 2016 by obtaining records through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The documents show the company found Listeria in the plant in early 2014 and “infrequently” before that. In April 2016, the Justice Department opened an investigation into the outbreak.
Experienced Listeria Lawyers
If you developed a Listeria infection after eating salad produced by Dole and would like to discuss your legal options, please contact our Listeria lawyers. Our Food Safety Team has more experience handling Listeria lawsuits than any other law firm in the country securing some of the largest Listeria settlements in U.S. history including a recent award of $6.4 million.
You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win