FDA recalls 2 pre-cut Dole salads

WASHINGTON, Oct 4, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled certain Dole's Classic Romaine and American Blend salads sold nationwide, citing a Minnesota E. coli outbreak.

The recalled Dole Food Co. Classic Romaine and American Blend salads have a use-by date of Sept. 23 and a production code that starts with B250.

While the outbreak in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area happened two weeks ago -- hospitalizing three of 12 people who became sick -- the FDA said the products were sold nationwide. Eleven of the 12 bought the salads at Rainbow Foods grocery stores in Minnesota.

A Minnesota Department of Health spokesman said, while the E. coli organism had not been isolated, all victims ate the same lettuce.

"So it's basically a big epidemiological arrow pointing to one of the lettuce products from Dole," the spokesman told The Washington Post.

Dole said it did not expect the outbreak to severely affect sales of its pre-cut salads, a rapidly growing business with $4 billion in U.S. sales last year.

URL: www.upi.com