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Alert: 9 Packaged Salad Kit Brands Recalled Due to Listeria: What to Know

The CDC is investigating two separate listeria outbreaks linked to packaged salads after people have been sick in 13 states. Make sure you check your fridge.

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A mess of salad or kale, greens
Close Up of green lettuce leaves

If you were planning to have a packaged salad for lunch, you need to check to see if it’s safe to eat. The CDC is currently investigating two separate listeria outbreaks linked to packaged salads produced by Dole and Fresh Express.

What Dole Salads Are Being Recalled?

Packaged salads from a variety of brands under the Dole umbrella have been recalled:

  • Ahold
  • Dole
  • Kroger
  • Lidl
  • Little Salad Bar
  • Marketside
  • Naturally Better
  • Nature’s Promise
  • Simply Nature

Salads include mixed greens, garden salads, Caesar kits, and many other types of salads in bags or clamshells. The “best if used by dates will range from “11/30/21 through 01/08/22” and the product lot code begins with the letter “N” or “Y” in the upper right-hand corner of the package. You can see the full list of Dole’s recalled salads here.

There have been 16 reported cases of listeria due to Dole’s salads so far, with 12 people being hospitalized and two people dying across 13 states.

What Fresh Express Salads Are Being Recalled?

Packaged salads that have reached eight states have been recalled due to tracings of listeria in a salad manufactured at the Fresh Express Streamwood facility in Michigan. You can see which salads have been officially recalled here, as your best bet to know if your salad is among those recalled is the product code or UPC code.

There have been 10 reported cases of listeria due to Dole’s salads so far, with 10 people being hospitalized and one person dying across eight states.

What Should I Do if My Salad Has Been Recalled?

The most obvious thing is to throw away the salad, but there is plenty more you can do to ensure your safety. The CDC recommends cleaning your fridge and any other surface area the salad may have touched because listeria can spread to other surfaces and foods, causing plenty of health problems even if you’ve thrown away the offending foodstuffs.

If you did eat one of the recalled packaged salads and begin to feel symptoms, call your healthcare provider. You may experience headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches. If you are pregnant, listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.

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