[caption id="attachment_81335" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Dole brand Italian Blend Salad packaging (CFIA handout)

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According to media reports Wednesday, Dole brand Italian Blend salad is being pulled from store shelves because of possible Listeria contamination.

The salad, made by Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc., is sold in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick but may have also been sold in other provinces.

According to WebMD, Listeriosis is food poisoning caused by eating foods contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) bacterium. In pregnant women, the infection can result in miscarriage, premature delivery, serious infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

Below is the full press release from the CFIA:

Advisory details

Ottawa, March 12, 2014 - Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. is recalling Dole brand Italian Blend salad from the marketplace due to possible Listeriacontamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product is known to have been distributed in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick and may have been also been distributed in other provinces.

What you should do

Check to see if you have recalled product in your home. Recalled product should be thrown out or returned to the store where it was purchased.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Who is affected

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Background

This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled product from the marketplace.

Affected products