3. Dole prides itself on following all FDA regulations regarding acceptable levels of patulin in bottled apple juice. Following strict apple picking regulations will prevent patulin levels over 50 micrograms per kilogram.
4. Do you have reason to believe that there is patulin in other Dole products that contain apple juice?
5. No, because Dole follows strict apple picking regulations there is no reason to believe that any other product has been affected. Also, Dole relies on the tests conducted by the Food Standards Agency to make sure our products are within acceptable ranges regarding patulin levels. I would like to stress that this incident is very atypical of Dole Food Company Inc.
6. Why does Dole rely on a third party agency to conduct the necessary testing to detect unacceptable levels of patulin?
7. To put it simply, Dole does not have the necessary resources to conduct these tests. The tests require a lot of time and money. However, since our costumer’s safety is number one, we rely on the Food Standards Agency to service as a form of checks and balances. We will continue to utilize their services because they are doing a great thing for public safety.
9. Again, all customers who have purchased Dole’s 100% apple juice are encouraged to check our website or call the hotline 1-800-DOLE to ensure that their bottles are not in the affected batch.