Dole Fresh Vegetables Announces Precautionary Recall of Limited Number of Italian Blend Salads

Press Release Source: Dole Fresh Vegetables On Wednesday June 22, 2011, 7:45 pm EDT

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling 2,880 cases of DOLER Italian Blend salad with Use-by Date of June 19, 2011, UPC code 7143000819 and Product Codes 0049A157201A, 0049A157201B, 0049A157202A, 0049A157202B, 0686A157202A, 0686A157202B and 442 cases of Kroger Fresh Selections Italian Style Blend salad with Use-by-Date of June 19, 2011, UPC code 1111091045 and Product Codes A157201A & A157201B, due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall.

The Product Code and Use-by Date are in the upper right-hand corner of the package; the UPC code is on the back of the package, below the barcode. The salads were distributed in twelve U.S. states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin) and three Canadian provinces (New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec).

No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall. This precautionary recall notification is being issued due to an isolated instance in which one package of Dole Italian Blend salad yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test collected and conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

No other Dole or Kroger salads are included in the recall. Only the specific Product Codes, UPC codes and June 19, 2011 Use-by-Date of Italian Blend salads identified above are included in the recall. Consumers who have any remaining product with these Product Codes should not consume it, but rather discard it. Retailers and consumers with questions may call the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at (800) 356-3111, which is open 8:00 am to 3:00 pm (PDT) Monday - Friday.

Retailers should check their inventories and store shelves to confirm that none of the product is mistakenly present or available for purchase by consumers or in warehouse inventories. Dole Fresh Vegetables customer service representatives are already contacting retailers and are in the process of confirming that the recalled product is not in the stream of commerce.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can cause foodborne illness in a person who eats a food item contaminated with it. Symptoms of infection may include fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If it spreads to the nervous system symptoms may include headache, stiff neck or confusion. The illness primarily impacts pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems. Most healthy adults and children rarely become seriously ill.

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Fresh vegetables and stronger ties

HILLSBOROUGH — Ask Nancy Rabinowitz what she and her husband, Paul, are planting in their garden, and she?ll pull out a neatly printed plan, complete with illustrations.

Tomatoes, melons and zucchini are among their choices. The plot itself is one of about 200 at the new Duke Farms Community Garden, which opened earlier this spring to gardeners who registered and won a parcel through a lottery.

?We had a very large garden at our house, but what?s happened over the last 10 years is the trees have grown up to a point where they block the sun,? said Paul Rabinowitz. ?It became very frustrating. We got sun until mid-May, but when the leaves were all there, forget it.?

At Duke Farms, their garden has full sun about 10 hours a day, plus a high fence to protect their crops from foraging deer.

The Rabinowitzes are two of many gardeners who have taken advantage of a growing group of community gardens in Central Jersey. In addition to the garden in Hillsborough, community gardens exist in Branchburg, East Brunswick and other locations in Somerset and Middlesex counties.

?They seem to be very popular,? said Paul Smith, director of designed landscapes at Duke Farms. ?Every community garden that has opened up in all the towns we?ve talked to have literally filled their plots. They have waiting lists.?

Duke Farms consulted the organizers of gardens in Lawrence Township and Flemington, as well as the Wagner Farm Arboretum Foundation in Warren Township.

?I really think that every town should have one,? said Dave Moskowitz, president of the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission, which started that township?s garden. ?It?s been a fantastic experience for us.?

Membership in the Duke Farms garden is open to people who live or work in Hillsborough, Somerville, Raritan Borough or Bridgewater ? close enough that they can reliably tend their plots.

The garden is entirely organic. Gardeners can?t use pesticides.

?Our mission is to inspire people to become stewards of the land. This was a way to give people an opportunity to grow produce, but also in a way that?s healthy to the environment,? said Holly Dunbar, a spokeswoman for Duke Farms.

The Rabinowitzes, who live in Bridgewater, said they were happy with the soil and plants that Duke Farms provided to its inaugural group of gardeners at the grand opening on April 30.

Branchburg?s two-year-old garden includes both an organic and inorganic section. Township Clerk Sharon Brienza said eager gardeners began reserving summer plots in early December.

Community gardens often make a variety of plots available at different prices. In Branchburg, for example, gardeners pay $30 for a 10-foot-by-10-foot plot ? or $20 if they?re seniors. A similar sized plot in East Brunswick or in the Duke Farms garden costs $10. Larger plots are also available in some gardens.

The gardens can be a way to reconnect with nature. Ed O?Neill, chairman of the committee that oversees Branchburg?s garden, said one gardener put down a brick walkway and installed a bird bath and bluebird house. A garden situated in a large field, like Branchburg?s, reminds its users what wide-open spaces look like.

It?s one thing to see a hundred fireflies in your own yard ? but ?stand out there and see a million fireflies across the fields,? he said.

?There?s also the whole concept of getting the kids out there so they can see how food is actually grown. It doesn?t come in plastic,? he said.

In addition to its 172 individual plots, East Brunswick?s garden includes shared areas, where all the gardeners work together to maintain herbs, asparagus and other crops.

Moskowitz said they then share in the bounty when the harvest comes. This year, the garden is putting in shared raspberries and sweet potatoes, paid for by a $2,500 grant from The Home Depot.

In addition, East Brunswick donates large quantities of produce to a local senior center and a crisis center ? more than 600 pounds last year. The gardeners have also established a ?sister garden? relationship with community gardeners in East Brunswick, Australia, near Melbourne, exchanging news, information and gardening tips. Moskowitz said there?s even a plan for a joint cookbook.

?It sounds kid of pat, but the truth is we always wanted to build a community of gardeners, and not just a community garden,? Moskowitz said.

At Duke Farms, some gardeners are similarly making plans to share some of their produce with the less fortunate. And they?re enjoying a growing sense of community, even in the garden?s first few days.

Linda Bolton, gardening with her husband, Ken, said she enjoys working alongside other gardeners. They can take care of each other?s plots during vacations and trade growing tips, she said.

?Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful and friendly,? said Bolton, who lives in Green Brook but works in Somerville. ?It?s community in the strongest sense of the word.?

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New Hereford Central Market to feature fresh produce from Pennsylvania farms

 North County residents can buy organic vegetables from 75 farms in Lancaster County, Pa., as well as fruit from a 350-acre farm in Pennsylvania, without ever leaving the Hereford Zone.

Hereford Central Market will open June 1 in the former Hereford Seafood building on York Road, next to the Hereford Library.

Sue Carbaugh, of Monkton, will run the new market. She spent last summer under a tent next to Hereford Seafood, where she sold vegetables from Brad's Produce in Harford County.

This year, she'll move into an air-conditioned store and sell goods from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative and Three Springs Fruit Farm in Wenksville, Pa.

"I tried multiple farmers in Baltimore County who had a credible product, but I needed quantity, quality and a willingness to deliver," she said. "These two in Pennsylvania were big enough to do that."

She is also offering shares in a Community Supported Market where participants get 21 weeks of vegetables and fruit for $550.

CSM shareholders pay up front and then stop by the market on either Wednesdays or Saturdays to pick up an order.

Carbaugh said participants can choose six to eight items each week. An item could be a quart of string beans or a container of tomatoes. CMA members receive $25 to $30 of vegetables each week, and they receive a 10 percent discount over market price.

The deadline to participate in the Community Supported Market is May 25.

Hereford Central Market, located at 16938 York Road, will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. during the week and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. It will be closed on Tuesdays.

For details, or to register for the CSM, call Carbaugh at 410-472-4096, 410-404-3501, or email her at smcarbaugh@gmail.com.

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Woolies refunds fresh food from any store

 MONEY BACK: Woolworths has promised to provide a refund all fresh fruit and vegetables if consumers find a problem, no questions asked, even if the item was purchased from a competitor. Source: The Australian

Woolworths to give refunds for bad produce No receipt needed, no questions asked Policy an 'extension' of fresh food promise

WOOLWORTHS has promised to refund your bad fruit and vegetables with "no questions asked" - even if you didn't buy them there.

From today, consumers can return fresh fruit and vegetables to Woolworths store without a receipt and they will be offered a refund or product exchange with no questions asked.

"We are actively encouraging any customer who is not completely happy with the quality or freshness of their Woolworths fruit and vegetables to return them to us," Greg Foran, director of Woolworths Supermarkets told The Courier Mail.

Customers unhappy with produce from a store are already protected by the Australian Competition and Consumer Act which says they can demand a replacement or a refund, but this usually requires some proof of purchase.

Woolworths spokesman Simon Berger told news.com.au the company wasn’t worried about customers who could exploit the policy by asking for money for bad produce bought elsewhere.

"We trust our customers because at the end of the day we want them to trust us and that means delivering the best fruit and vegetables every time," said Mr Foran.

"What's more important to us is that people have confidence that they get the best and freshest food from Woolworths and if they're not completely happy with that they can return it and we can make it right for them."

It comes amid a supermarket war between Woolworths and Coles, which introduced its aggressive 'Down Down' campaign to slash the price of Coles-branded household staples including milk, eggs and chicken.

Outgoing Woolworths chief Grant Luscombe last month denied a supermarket price war was breaking out, saying rivals were fighting to give the "impression" of price leadership.

But Mr Berger would not be drawn on whether its recent move was in response to the war, which is currently the subject of a Senate inquiry that is due to release its findings in a report in October.

He said the policy was an "extension" of the promise delivered in Woolworths' tag line "the fresh food people", which refers to its aim to deliver produce from farms to stores quickly.

"Customers have always had choices and they always will we're only successful if we deliver what customers what and do it better than others," he said.

"The fresh food guarantee is building on something we’ve been focused on for 20 years…that's what we're sticking our neck out on today."

This comes after Woolworths completed a year of consumer evaluation about the company's fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a revamp of its distribution and supply chain.

"In the last year we've had a customer sensory taste test panel. They want them fresh both at the time they buy them off the shelf and a few days later when they're still in the fruit bowl," said Mr Berger.

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Fresh vegetables in the market signal the arrival of good eating

The warm weather means the roadside markets are starting to brim with fresh, local vegetables. (Press-Register file photo)

By BETSY OSBORNE

Special to the Press-Register

Too often, vegetables are the after-thought of our meals. We plan the meat and the starch, then at the last minute we throw some lettuce and tomatoes together and add a splash of bottled dressing.

It’s an easily formed habit, honed to perfection by long practice.

Let’s take another look at what’s available to us and how we can provide greater variety to our meals.

We have out-of-season vegetables available all year. Squash, one vegetable my esteemed husband favors, made regular appearances at my table this past winter. I devised a roasting method we enjoy year ‘round.

I also like stir-fried vegetables. This method of cooking is surprisingly quick, and the vegetables keep a nice, crunchy texture.

Several years ago, I read about a way to prepare potatoes that is a little time consuming but well worth the effort. I call them Slinky Potatoes.

I think eggplant is one of the loveliest vegetables we have. Its color is one degree from being black, and its sheen is like patent leather. The texture is spongy when cooked in a stew, crisp when rolled in meal and fried, and savory when roasted with peppers and zucchini.

Roasted Squash

4 servings

4 medium sized yellow squash

1 red or yellow onion

Vegetable oil spray

? cup olive oil

? cup balsamic vinegar

? teaspoon pepper

Coarse salt

Salt and pepper

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with the oil spray. With a sharp knife, cut the squash the long way into thin slices. Peel the onion and cut into quarters.

Arrange the squash and onion on the cookie sheet. Combine the olive oil. Balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Spoon this over the vegetables.

Roast at 450 degrees for 25 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve hot or at room temperature.

Asparagus and Green Bean Stir Fry

4 servings

1 bunch fresh asparagus

? pound fresh green beans

1 red onion

1 cup chicken broth, homemade or canned

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

? teaspoon ground ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt

Snap off the ends of the asparagus. Cut the spears into 2-inch lengths. Snap the ends off the beans and cut the beans in half the long way. Peel and slice the onion.

Combine the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.

Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over high. Add the asparagus, beans, and onion. Cook and stir until the onion is softened.

Stir the sauce to make sure the cornstarch is blended in. Pour over the vegetables and continue cooking until thickened.

Add salt to taste. Serve immediately while vegetables are still crunchy.

Slinky Potatoes

4 servings

4 medium Russet potatoes, peeled

Bacon Bits

2 green onions, finely chopped

? stick of butter, melted

Salt

Place two wooden spoons on a cutting board parallel to each other and about 3 inches apart. Place a potato between the spoons and slice the potato down to the spoons. (The spoons stop the knife so you don’t cut all the way through the potatoes.) Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.

Place the potatoes in an oven-proof pan. Fan out the slices and poke the bacon bits and onion between the slices. Pour the melted butter over the potatoes. Roast at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the tops of the potatoes are nicely browned.

Eggplant and Red Pepper Roast

4 servings

1 eggplant, cut into ?-inch slices

Salt

1 red bell pepper, cut into ?-inch strips

2 small zucchini, cut into ?-inch rounds

1 red onion, sliced

Fresh basil sprigs

? cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

? teaspoon salt

Place eggplant slices on a double layer of paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt. Wait 30 minutes. Blot the eggplant, pressing firmly to remove as much moisture as possible.

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Set aside.

Prepare the rest of the vegetables and toss with the eggplant in half of the sauce. Spread on two cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with oil.

Roast at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour with remaining sauce to serve. Garnish with basil sprigs.

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