Dole is issuing a recall of spinach, following fears of salmonella contamination. The recall affects 13 different states: Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Dole has labelled the recall “precautionary.” The recall is being made after the Michigan Department of Agriculture found that some bags of the spinach tested positive for salmonella during random testing.
Not all bags of Dole spinach are affected. If you have any Dole spinach in your fridge, check the bag and examine the code number. Any spinach with the code A27409B and A27409A should be tossed out immediately. The UPC number is 7143000976, and the spinach has a sell-bey date of October 15th.
Make sure the spinach is properly sealed up before throwing it out.
Dole states that it has already reached out to stores and asked them to pull the product from their shelves. Still, if you find yourself buying Dole spinach, it’s best to check for the above codes.
The recall is being made voluntarily, but experts warn that Salmonella is a dangerous bacteria and can cause severe food poisoning. In some cases, the accompanying illness can even be fatal. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk.
Salmonella is a very serious disease in the United States, even in spite of high food safety standards. The bacteria causes roughly 19,000 hospitalizations per year, and nearly 400 deaths. It is estimated that up to one million people are sickened by it per year.
