Ready-to-Eat Dole Salads Recalled Due to Undeclared Allergens

A popular brand of salad is being pulled from store shelves in a new multi-state recall. Safeway Fresh Food, LLC on May 3 issued a recall of Dole ready-to-eat (RTE) Chicken Caesar Salad products after it was discovered the salads contain undeclared allergens. Undeclared allergens pose potentially life-threatening risks to some consumers.

A recall notice posted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website on Tuesday informed consumers of the recall. According to the notice, approximately 717 pounds of the ready-to-eat salad are being recalled. The specific product subject to the recall is the 12.6-ounce bowl of "Dole FRESH Takes CLASSIC CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD." The recalled RTE Chicken Caesar Salad products have a use-by date of 05/05/2022 and lot code S109000 1 located at the top of the front label. They also bear the establishment number "EST. 40283" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on April 19, 2022, and shipped to distributors in Maryland and Virginia before being further distributed to retailers in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, per the recall notice. Consumers can view photos of the products and labels impacted by the recall by clicking here.

Safeway Fresh Food, LLC initiated the recall, which follows a similar recall that affected Dole and other salad brands in January, after the producing establishment "received a customer complaint that the product exhibited the incorrect ingredient statement label on the bottom of the bowl." The FSIS was then contacted. It was determined that the products were misbranded and contain anchovies, egg and wheat, known allergens, which are not declared on the product label. Undeclared allergens can lead to adverse effects in consumers who suffer from those allergies. Side effects and symptoms can range from mild to severe, and in some cases can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that narrows the airways and can block breathing.

Although there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the recalled salads, the FSIS said that the product may be in consumers' refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are being urged not to consume them and instead throw them away or return the recalled salad to the place of purchase. Those with questions can contact Joseph Chayka, VP of Food Safety and Quality, Safeway Fresh Food, LLC, at 609-774-4796 or jchayka@safewaygroup.net.