Listeriosis Is Still Possible In Iowa From Dole Recall

Remember last month’s salad recall? Well, it’s not over yet, there is still some risk of getting sick from it.

When the recall was announced, people across 13 states, including Iowa, were advised to throw away salad with expiration dates ranging from November 30, 2021, through January 8^th, 2022 due to an outbreak in Listeria monocytogenes infections.

However, if you still got your hands on one of those salads or you even just missed the date, there is still a chance you could get sick. It can take infected people up to 70 days for symptoms to develop.

Facilities linked to the Listeria outbreak in Dole products were reopened a little over a week ago.

According to an article with Food Safety News, a Dole spokesperson confirmed facilities in Arizona and North Carolina had reopened but they did not elaborate on any investigation relating to the recalls/ outbreak.

Listeriosis

Listeria is a life-threatening infection that is caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. People at higher risk for the disease include pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weaker immune systems.

Symptoms an infected person may experience include

High risk: fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions
Pregnant women: fever, non-specific symptoms (fever, headache). Infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery
Healthy people: While it’s rare for healthy people to develop listeriosis, large doses of listeria can lead to a non-invasive illness.

According to the most recent outbreak from December 22, 2021, 16 people across 13 states were confirmed with the infection.

OPINION - This Cedar Valley Eyesore Needs To Be Demolished

In its heyday, the Rath Packing Company employed 8,500 people. It's still thought of fondly by many as what helped put Waterloo "on the map" and giving many area families a good income to raise their families. When rumors of bankruptcy started in 1979, the company became employee-owned in 1980. Despite many attempts to save it and massive amounts of money invested (from employees and loans from the city of Waterloo) all of those efforts ultimately failed, leading to its demise and liquidation in 1985.