Dole Listeria Outbreak Kills 4 People, US Launches Criminal Investigation

Dole, one of the world's largest fruit and vegetable producer now faces criminal investigations by the US Justice Department in line with the Listeria-outbreak linked poisoning that killed four people as per federal investigator's statement on Friday.

Four out of the 33 people who got sick and were hospitalized with Listeria bacteria died. After collecting swab samples from the victims and product samples from the plant as well as other documentations, Food Development Authority inspectors have proven the presence of Listeria monocytogenes on Dole's packaged salads to be the cause of illness.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration's inspection report reveals that as early as July 2014, Dole Springfield Plant had been tested positive of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The same result came out on their test done in 2015, showing that the company continued the plant operation in Ohio spite of the presence of the potentially dangerous bacteria, as per Fox News.

Dole responded with a statement on Friday saying that they are cooperating with the federal investigators regarding the issue. The company also assured their customers though their website that they have corrected the issues on their plant that may have caused the incidents.

The company guaranteed their consumers that they are collaborating with the authorities in executing improvements in their procedure and sanitation, and cited the reopening of their plant on April 21 after being suspended from operation on January 21 as proof of the company's compliance with the authorities.

US Justice Department however refused to comment on the matter, according to Chicago Patch.

NBC reports that FDA conducted the inspection on the plant five times from January to February. They also collected samples of the product from each stage of the process on January 16 and found the samples from each stage positive of Listeria monocytogenes.

Dole on January 26 acknowledged the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's inspection result; the outcome which proved to be the same as FDA's findings.

Watch this video to know more about the effects of Listeria bacteria on human body.