Dole Refutes Rumors of Packaged Salad Recall

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Dole Fresh Vegetables, a division of Dole Food Company, Inc. here, said Friday there is absolutely no truth to recent stories circulating on the Internet of a current recall of Dole packaged salads. In the statement, Dole said salads are safe to eat and are produced in state of the art facilities with a priority on product safety.

"There is no current recall of any Dole products," said Marty Ordman, a spokesman for Dole Food Co. "These stories are unintentionally re-circulating year-old news of an incident that took place last year. Unfortunately, old news and inaccurate information that linger on the Internet for years can be mistaken for current news and make their way into today's TV news and newspapers. Dole is proud of both our products and our commitment to consumer safety."

In the statement, Dole explained, "In the United States, consumers purchase over two million bags of Dole salad every day. Dole is committed to bringing consumers the safest, cleanest and freshest produce available. Dole salad plants operate under a strict food safety program; the same program is used by NASA astronauts to prevent contracting food-borne illness. Dole will continue to serve as an industry leader in consumer safety and satisfaction.

"Dole salads are triple-washed and packaged in bags specially designed to keep the product safe and fresh," the company said in the statement. "Dole packaged salads incorporate a Best-If-Used-By date on every bag so consumers know they are purchasing the freshest product possible."

Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2005 revenues of $5.9 billion, produces and markets fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers, as well as a growing line of packaged foods and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
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