Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked To Dole Salad! How To Protect Yourself From The Outbreak!
If you have the habit of buying prepackaged salad you might rethink your decision after you read this. Your salad may have a little something extra you didn’t ask for but can receive it all the same. And no it’s not a coupon for another salad, it could be Listeria!
One person has died and 12 have been hospitalized in a Listeriosis outbreak linked to Dole packaged salads. Officials from CDC announced today they have been investigating the six-state outbreak since September 2015.
“Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence available to date indicate that packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio, and sold under various brand names are the likely source of this outbreak,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced after their thorough investigation.
Connecticut and Missouri are the newest additions to the list of states affected by the listeria outbreak which was first brought into light on 3rd of January 2016 when the CDC called for an immediate recall of all packaged salad greens produced in the Dole factory in Springfield Ohio. Dole complied and voluntarily recalled all the products from that plant in Ohio, since there was no evidence that any other plant has been affected.
If you by any chance have bought bagged lettuce from any of the following brand names: Dole, Fresh Selections, Simple Truth, Marketside, The Little Salad Bar, or President’s Choice and see a letter A at the beginning of the manufacturing code throw it in the trash immediately and clean every surface the salad has come into contact with hot water and soap.
I believe that by now everyone has heard about listeria and how dangerous it can be but few really know what it really is and how we can protect ourselves from contamination. Listeria is estimated to cause 19% of all deaths from food-born infections and here are several facts you must know about this disease:
- It’s a food contaminating bacteria which when eaten causes a serious infection called listeriosis. It usually affects people who have weak immune system but there have been cases when healthy people get contaminated as well.
- It can be found in every type of food, not just salads. In raw, cooked and processed food, in fruit, uncooked meat and vegetables, unpasteurized milk products and cooked and processed meat.
- The incubation period for listeria is extremely long; it can be one to three weeks or even two months in some cases.
- It strives in cold environments, which is surprising for bacteria, which is why it’s important to throw out potentially contaminated food even from the fridge.
- It can survive in water and soil, so washing the potentially contaminated fruit and vegetables won’t wash away the bacteria. It can even live in a food processing plant for years.
- It’s most likely to infect 4 groups of people, so if you have a weakened immune system you’re more likely to be infected. This includes pregnant women, newborns, elderly people and people with immune disorder like HIV.
The only way to protect yourself from listeria and other food born bacteria is to strictly follow certain food safety rules. Always cook raw meats thoroughly, rinse raw fruits and vegetables before eating — this can help wash off other bacteria (although not listeria) and avoid drinking unpasteurized milk. If a product is recalled by the FDA or some other health agency don’t think twice about throwing it away, even if you think it may not be affected. Better to be safe than sorry. If you’re in the high risk group, the CDC recommends avoiding hot dogs, deli meats, and processed lunch meats unless they are heated to a 165 degrees temperature before eating.
