Dive Brief:
- Inspection reports show that Dole officials knew about the listeria contamination at its Springfield, OH, salad plant for a year and a half (since July 2014) before shutting down the plant Jan. 21, according to Food Safety News. The listeria outbreak was linked to 33 illnesses in the U.S. and Canada, leaving four dead.
- At least eight tests completed after the initial discovery also showed listeria contamination, but production continued, Food Safety News reported. FDA inspection reports had cited safety problems at the facility at least as far back as March 2014.
- The salad plant has resumed production, but Dole has provided no details about how the company cleaned and sanitized the plant or how the plant plans to prevent contamination.
Dive Insight:
Investigations by the FDA and CDC are complete, according to a statement on Dole's website, but neither agency has confirmed the conclusion of those investigations. CDC has only announced that the outbreak "appears to be over," which was on March 31. The FDA confirmed to Food Safety News that its investigation was ongoing and the agency could not further comment on an open investigation.
Costs associated with business interruption were among the highest that food businesses deal with following a recall, according to a survey conducted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
If Dole applied the principles required by FSMA preventive rules, such as assessing safety risk factors and documenting a plan for handling them, then the company may be better situated to move forward without further interruption. Best practices will vary, but taking the initiative to show the FDA during an inspection that all potential risks have been identified and planned for will be critical for the company and agency going forward.
Plant management teams have more work and responsibility as a result of these requirements, but being flexible to prevent or wrap up recalls more quickly means fewer recall costs, less reputation damage, and little to no time having to shut down production.
Soon after ceasing production at the Springfield plant, Dole recalled a number of salad brands, including several retailers' private label brands.