Dive Brief:
- The CDC said the listeria outbreak linked to Dole packaged salads produced at its Springfield, OH, plant appears to be over.
- Dole had voluntarily shut down the facility in January and announced a recall soon after. But neither Dole nor the FDA have offered details about the status of that facility or results of sample testing or inspections, according to Food Safety News.
- The outbreak was linked to 33 illnesses: 19 hospitalizations across nine states, including one death. There were 14 illness reports in Canada, including three deaths, though health officials did not conclusively link the infections to cause of death in those cases.
Dive Insight:
The FDA's handling of this outbreak seems to contrast the recent listeria outbreak linked to Blue Bell ice cream plants last year. In that instance, the FDA was forthcoming with inspection reports and identified health concerns and breaches in food safety protocol. In Dole's case, however, the FDA has remained quiet so far as to the cause of the contamination at the Springfield facility.
The Springfield plant is currently in the middle of a $9 million expansion, which Dole announced in late 2013.