Dole Food suspends operations at Ohio facility due to Listeria outbreak

Dole Food has stopped production at its facility in Springfield, Ohio, after a multistate Listeria outbreak linked to packaged salad led to the hospitalisation of 11 people and one death.

Tests conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture found Listeria bacteria in a package of Dole field salads produced at its Springfield facility.

The salads were sold under a range of brand names such as Dole, Marketside, Fresh Selections, The Little Salad Bar, Simple Truth, and President’s Choice, reported USA Today.

The Listeria outbreak is reported to have affected people between the age of three and 83 over the last six months since 5 July 2015.

According to a report by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a resident of Michigan died and 11 people from six states fell seriously ill due to consumption of the salads.

The six states are Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Dole’s fresh vegetables unit said the company is voluntarily withdrawing the salads sold in 23 US states and three Canadian provinces.

Dole was quoted by The Wall Street Journal saying: "The suspension and withdrawal is being performed voluntarily by Dole out of an abundance of caution."

Though health officials started conducting a probe into the Listeriosis outbreak in September, the tests did not associate the illnesses to Dole’s packaged salad until this month.

According to a Wal-Mart spokesman, the product has been removed from its 308 stores in nine states. The supermarket chain informed customers who have already purchased the product, that they can seek a refund.

Listeria is a deadly bacteria which causes Listeriosis.

In 2015, ice-cream maker Blue Bell Creameries shut down operations after a Listeria outbreak, which led to three deaths and seven illnesses.