FDA Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation

"FDA Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation Update."  There is new information available on this topic at the URL below, and for your convenience the update is also provided below.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm482807.htm

FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of Listeria in Dole Leafy Greens Products Produced in the Dole Facility in Springfield, Ohio

What was the Problem and What was Done About It?  

The FDA, CDC and state and local officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis.
According to CDC, 15 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from eight states since July 5, 2015. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Connecticut (1), Indiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (4), Missouri (1), New Jersey (1), New York (5), and Pennsylvania (1).
According to the CDC, WGS (whole genome sequencing) has been performed on clinical isolates from all ill people and has shown that the isolates are highly related genetically. Listeria specimens were collected from ill people between July 5, 2015 and January 3, 2016. Ill people range in age from 3 years to 83, and the median age is 64. Seventy-three percent of ill people are female. All fifteen (100%) ill people reported being hospitalized, including one person from Michigan who died as a result of listeriosis. One of the illnesses reported was in a pregnant woman. Of eight ill people who were asked about packaged salad, all eight reported eating a packaged salad. Four ill people who were able to specify the brands of packaged salad eaten reported various varieties of Dole brand packaged salad. 
 
Although the investigation began in September 2015, the source of these illnesses wasn't known until January 2016 when the laboratory result from the packaged salad collected in Ohio linked the illnesses to the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio.
On January 21, 2016, Dole reported to FDA and CDC that it ceased production of all packaged salads at its processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. Additionally, the company reported that it is withdrawing all packaged salads currently on the market that were produced at this facility.
On January 27, 2016, Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc., announced that it was recalling all packaged salads produced in its Springfield, Ohio, facility.
On January 28, 2016, the FDA completed its analysis and confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a packaged salad produced at the Springfield, Ohio, facility.
Consumers should not eat, and restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. As pictured below, these products can be identified by the letter "A" at the beginning of the manufacturing code on the package.
These packaged salads are sold under these brand names:

• Dole
• Fresh Selections
• Simple Truth
• Marketside
• The Little Salad Bar
• President's Choice Organics

The type of salad blends produced at the Springfield, Ohio, plant were packaged in bags and clamshell containers and include:

• American salads
• arugula salads
• Asian salads
• bacon and bleu cheese salads
• BBQ Ranch salads
• Caesar salads
• chipotle and cheddar salads
• coleslaw
• field green salads
• garden salads
• iceberg salads
• Italian blend salads
• kales salads
• lettuce salads
• Mediterranean salads
• romaine salads
• sesame ginger salads
• Southwest salads
• spinach salads
• spring mix salads
• spinach salads
• sunflower salads
• vegetable blend salads

Once consumers identify that they have one of these brands of salads, the most important thing to do is to check the product code in the upper right-hand corner of the package like the one below. If the product code begins with the letter “A”, the mix has been recalled. It should not be eaten and should be thrown away.

The recalled salads are known to have been distributed to the following states, though there may have been further distribution to other states:

• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Vermont
• Wisconsin

The Public Health Agency of Canada has announced a link between salads made at the Dole plant in Springfield, Ohio, and a listeriosis outbreak in that country.

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a food recall warning for products made at this plant and reports that recalled salads have also been shipped to these provinces in Canada:
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec 

What are the Symptoms of Listeriosis?

Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Anyone who experiences fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, or develops fever and chills while pregnant after eating any of the products listed below should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the potentially contaminated leafy greens. Symptoms can appear from a few days up to a few weeks after eating the contaminated food.

Who is at Risk? 

Listeriosis can be fatal, especially in certain high-risk groups. These groups include the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems and certain chronic medical conditions (such as cancer). In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and serious illness or death in newborn babies.

What Specific Products are Affected?

All packaged salads produced in Dole’s Springfield, Ohio, plant. These are sold in bags and clamshell packaging under the following brand names:

• Dole
• Fresh Selections
• Simple Truth
• Marketside
• The Little Salad Bar
• President's Choice Organics

Once consumers identify that they have one of these brands of salads, the most important thing to do is to check the product code on the package. If the product code begins with the letter “A”, the mix has been recalled. It should not be eaten and should be thrown away.

What Do Restaurants and Retailers Need To Do?

Retailers and restaurants should not serve any of the recalled products and should dispose of them. If they do not know the source of their leafy greens, they should check with the supplier.
Wash and sanitize refrigerators where potentially contaminated products were stored.
Wash and sanitize cutting boards, surfaces, and utensils used to cut, serve, or store potentially contaminated products.
Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators who have processed and packaged any potentially contaminated leafy green products need to be concerned about cross contamination of cutting surfaces and utensils through contact with these products.
Regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of cutting boards and utensils used in processing may help to minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.
Listeria can grow at refrigeration temperatures in foods like leafy greens. Listeria can also cross contaminate other food cut and served on the same cutting board or stored in the same area.
Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators may wish to consider whether other foods available for sale could have been cross-contaminated from the potentially contaminated leafy green products, and should be discarded.  

What Do Consumers Need To Do?

Consumers should not eat any of the withdrawn products and should check their homes for these leafy green products.
Recommendations for preventing listeriosis are available at the CDC Listeria website.
Listeria monocytogenes can grow at refrigerator temperatures, about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). The longer ready-to-eat refrigerated foods are stored in the refrigerator, the more opportunity Listeria has to grow.
It is very important that consumers thoroughly clean their refrigerators and other food preparation surfaces that may have come in contact with the potentially contaminated products.
Consumers should follow these simple steps:

• Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; then dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
• Wipe up spills in the refrigerator immediately and clean the refrigerator regularly.

Always wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitization process. 

Who Should be Contacted? 

Retailer and consumer questions about the recall should be directed to the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at 844-483-3865. Its temporary extended hours are 8:00am -8:00pm EST, Monday - Friday.
The FDA also encourages consumers with questions about food safety to call 1-888-SAFEFOOD Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time, or to consult the fda.gov website: http://www.fda.gov.