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COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE WARNS OF SALAD RECALL
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass warned consumers in the Mountain State of a recall of Dole Hearts Delight bagged salad mix after some of the product tested positive for E. coli.
Although West Virginia has not been identified as having received the recalled product, it has been traced to stores in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and may have moved into West Virginia through various channels. Other locales where the salad mix was distributed include parts of Canada, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York and Tennessee starting around September 8.
News reports indicate the tainted salad was sold at a store in Canada. Neither Canadian health officials nor Dole Food Co. have received reports of anyone getting sick from the product.
The voluntary recall, issued Monday, affects all packages of Hearts Delight sold in the United States and Canada with a "best if used by" date of September 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B," Dole said.
Eighty-eight cases – or 528 bags – were distributed in Canada, and 755 cases containing 4,530 bags were distributed in the U.S., according to Dole.
Commissioner Douglass warned that food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled, but can still cause life-threatening illnesses. He encourage individuals with food safety questions to contact the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) Regulatory and Environmental Affairs Division at 304-558-2208.
Symptoms of E. coli include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea; some people can have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis, while others may live with permanent kidney damage. Anyone exhibiting any of these symptoms should seek medical help immediately.
For more information on the recall call Dole Consumer Center toll-free at 1-800-356-3111.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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