A division of Dole Food Co. said the recall affects all packages of Dole's Hearts Delight salad mix 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."
According to company officials, there have been no reports of illness. The company's move came a day after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned consumers not to eat the ready-to-eat lettuce mix.
The Canadian agency is now investigating the source of contamination to see if any other products are affected.
Marty Ordman, Dole spokesman said that the recalled product was sold in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada and in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and neighboring U.S. states starting the weekend before last.
According to Ordman, the raw material for salad was grown in California, Colorado and Ohio, and then processed at Dole's plant in Springfield, Ohio on Sept. 6. In total, eighty-eight cases were distributed in Canada and 755 cases in the U.S.
Eric Schwartz, president of the Dole Fresh Vegetable division said in a statement, "Our overriding concern is for consumer safety."
In 2006, an E. coli outbreak traced to bagged baby spinach was blamed for the deaths of three people and for sickening hundreds more across the U.S. The infection caused by E. coli can cause life-threatening illnesses.
After someone ingests a sufficient quantity of E. coli, the bacteria travels through the stomach and small intestine, and then attaches itself to the inside surface of the large intestine and causes inflammation of the intestinal wall. This inflammatory reaction is caused by toxins secreted by the bacteria, and is believed to be the cause of hemorrhagic colitis.
Some people who are infected with the bacteria do not notice any symptoms. They may spread the bacteria to others without knowing it.
There are many conditions with symptoms similar to those of E. coli infection. Diagnosis of E. coli infection can be complicated by the fact that most bacterial infections that cause diarrhea are accompanied by a high fever.
Symptoms of E. coli infection usually end in about a week with no further problems. However, severe blood and kidney problems may occur 2 to 14 days after the onset of diarrhea. These problems can cause kidney failure and sometimes long-term disability or death in some children and older adults.
