Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling bagged spinach distributed in 13 states due to possible salmonella contamination.
Company spokesman William Goldfield said no illnesses had been reported and the company is cooperating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Time informed that the recall spurred when the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development conducted a test in a sample of Dole Spinach salad and it was later found positive for Salmonella.
There were about 2,800 cases - 33,600 bags - of spinach involved in the company's latest recall. The product codes for the recalled spinach are A27409A and A27409B. These products have an Enjoy By date of October 15 and UPC 7143000976. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said consumers who already purchased the salad should not eat it and should throw it away.
The states where the spinach had been distributed are Wisconsin, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana and Connecticut.
"The FDA told us about the test yesterday and we immediately began recalling the product," William told USA TODAY on Wednesday. "I believe the FDA is going through the plant right now, and we expect to get back up and running soon." Meanwhile, FDA spokeswoman Lauren Sucher waned to discuss the case.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated salmonella infections cause one million illnesses, 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths each year in the United States. Indications of salmonella poisoning may include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea or abnormal pain. The illness largely effects young children, elderly people in poor health and those with weakened immune systems.
Salmonella also can be fatal. To recall, USA TODAY has previously reported that "Two ex-officials of Peanut Corporation of America were sentenced to prison Oct. 1 for their roles in a salmonella outbreak blamed for killing nine people and sickening hundreds."
