Dole Italian Blend Salad from the U.S., which was distributed to a variety of provinces in Canada, could be contaminated with the <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/listeria">Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, warns The Montreal-Gazette.
The affected Dole Italian Blend Salad is packaged in a 283-gram (10-ounce) plastic bag bearing UPC 0 71430 00819 5 and with a best-before date of June 19; the potentially contaminated salad was sold in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in a statement, said The Montreal-Gazette. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency noted that the salad could have been distributed in other Canadian provinces.
No reports of illnesses have been received in connection with the defective salad; however, it could take some time for the symptoms of Listeria poisoning to manifest.
The food inspection agency can be reached, toll-free, at 1.800.442.2342 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), Monday to Friday.
For susceptible populations, infection with the Listeria pathogen can cause significant illnesses linked to the central nervous system, the developing fetus, and placenta. Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause Listeriosis, a potentially fatal foodborne Illness that infects about 2,500 people in the U.S., killing 500 each year.
Listeriosis symptoms include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, abdominal cramps and pain, and diarrhea. Pregnant women are 20 times likelier to be infected and Listeriosis can kill fetuses, can prompt premature births, can lead to hearing loss or brain damage in newborns, and can prompt neurological effects and cardio respiratory failure in adults.
The Montreal-Gazette notes that food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, may not look or smell spoiled, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest:
• Raw food from animal sources—beef, pork, poultry, etc.—should be cooked to a safe internal temperature and raw vegetables should be thoroughly rinsed under running tap water prior to consumption. Uncooked meats and poultry must be kept separate from vegetables, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods.
• Unpasteurized or raw milk should be avoided as should food prepared with unpasteurized or raw milk.
• After handling and preparing uncooked foods, wash hands, knives, countertops, and cutting boards very thoroughly.
