Toss that salad...in the bin!

The FDA has recalled a salad mix because traces of the potentially dangerous E. coli have been found in some of the packages.

The recalled greens are 'Dole’s Heart Delight' salad mix which is sold in the U.S. and Canada with a "best if used by" (BIUB) date of September 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B" stamped on the package.

The salad is sold in plastic bags of 227 grams in Canada and one-half pound in the U.S., with UPC code 071430-01038.

Random screening at a grocery store in Canada revealed the presence of E. coli O157:H7 and at this stage no other Dole salad products appear to be affected.

No reports have been received of anyone becoming sick from eating these products and the company is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and several U.S. state health departments to identify the source.

Consumers who may still have any of the "Dole Hearts Delight" salads should dispose of the product which was sold in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada and in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and neighboring states in the U.S.

The symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 include stomach cramps and diarrhea; bloody diarrhea may develop and E. coli disease sometimes leads to a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Anyone displaying any of these symptoms within 3 to 5 days of consuming any of the products specified above, should seek medical attention.

This latest E. coli scare comes a year after an outbreak in Californian spinach which resulted in three deaths and made many more sick.

At that time the bacteria was traced to a neighbouring cattle ranch.

This particular strain of E. coli is particularly nasty because it conceals itself well and affected food may not look or smell spoiled.

Health authorities are therefore warning consumers to take no chances and toss the salad in the bin.

The Dole Food Company is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers.