Dole Food Company has started processing its packaged salads again at a facility that was temporarily shut down after its products were linked to a Listeria outbreak by U.S. and Canadian authorities. 

In a release last week, Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. announced the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had completed their investigations at the Springfield, Ohio plant.

After fully coordinating with these regulators, Dole said limited production had restarted and would expand in the coming weeks.

“We’re grateful for the support of all our employees and the town of Springfield," said Dole Fresh Vegetables president Howard Roeder.

"Their commitment has been, and will always be, the cornerstone of the Dole Fresh Vegetables organization."

The company said it would provide further updates as the plant resumes normal operations.

The outbreak affected the health of 19 people in the U.S. and 14 in Canada; one man in Michigan died as a result of the outbreak, according to the CDC, while the Canadian Public Health Agency is still working to determine whether three deaths in Canada could be linked to the facility.

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