Dole crisis plan

Dole Food Company Inc. Crisis Communication Plan

Apple Juice Recall due to Increased Levels of Patulin

Developed by:

Lindsay Smith

Director of Media Relations Created: April 27, 2010

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………….……....p.3

Acknowledgments………………………………………….…..........p.4

Rehearsal Dates............................................................................…...p.5

Purpose and Objectives...………………………………….………...p.6

List of Possible Crises …………………………………….……….p.7

List of Key Publics……………………………………….…………p. 8

Procedures for Notifying Publics………………………………....…p.9

Crisis Communication Team ……………………………….. ...p.10-11

Media Spokesperson……………………………………….……...p. 12

Emergency Personnel and Local Official……………………….…p.13

Key Media……………………………….………………….……...p.14

Spokespeople for Related Organizations…......................................p.15

Crisis Communication Center and Alternate Location s………..…p.16

Equipment and Supplies…………………………………………...p.17

Pregathered Information……..………………………………….....p.18

Wed Sites and Related Links……………………………………....p.18

Key messages………………………………………………...........p. 19

Possible Trick Questions and Responses………………………......p.20

Example Press Briefing…………………………………..……p. 21-22

List of Prodromes……………………………….……………..…...p.23

Evaluation Form………………………………………………..….p. 24

DOLE FOOD COMPANY INC. CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN 3

Dear Employees and Executive Team,

At this time, I would like to express to you the importance of reading and becoming

familiar with this contingency plan. As many of you know, Dole Food Company Inc. is

responsible for over 50,000 employees working in over 25 countries. Dole Food’s has a

deep history of improving our products, expanding our expertise and leading the industry

in nutrition education and research. Dole has earned this reputation over the last 154

years thanks to its unwavering commitment to fulfill its customers' needs and consumers'

expectations in the critical areas of quality assurance, food safety, traceability,

environmental responsibility and social accountability. With this promise to our

customers, we must strive to always be ahead of the curve in order to maintain the level

of reliability that is expected from us. In response to this, our Public Relations team has

worked diligently to try and develop a plan in order for us to be prepared incase increased

levels of the bacteria patulin were to be found in Dole’s 100% Apple Juice that would

then result in the immediate recall of all bottles in the entire state of Virginia. Please read

and study this plan thoroughly in order to be prepared as possible in case this unfortunate

event were to occur. Failure to read this plan will result in unnecessary confusions, thus,

not allowing us to maintain the ability to truly call Dole Food Company Inc. the most

reliable brand of apple juice. By considering this possible crisis, we are able to improve

our company and remain proactive in insuring that Dole continues to maintain its

excellent reputation as a dependable company.

Thank you for your time and devotion to Dole Food Company Inc.

Sincerely,

David A. DeLorenzo

President of Dole Food Company Inc.


To Employees of Dole Food Company Inc.,

Thank you all for your help in obtaining the necessary information in order to formulate

this crisis communication plan. I can not express enough how imperative it is for each of

you to read over and study this plan. Therefore, please sign this acknowledgement sheet

below after you have read over this plan thoroughly. Turn this sheet into your

administrator as proof of completion and then each location will be tested for response

outlined in this crisis plan regarding increased levels of patulin in Dole’s 100% apple

juice that would then result in the immediate recall of all bottles within the state of

Virginia. You are responsible for returning the form to your administrator by May 10,

2010 in order to be properly prepared for when the simulations are to take place. We will

then rehearse this crisis plan along with others every six months on the first Wednesday

of the proper month. An e-mail will be sent a week prior to these rehearsals in order to

ensure that everyone is aware that they are only tests but must be taken seriously none the

less.

Sincerely,

David A. DeLorenzo

Preside of Dole Food Company Inc.

I have thoroughly read the following contingency plan and believe that if required I am

able to handle the outlined crisis a best as possible.

_________________________________ ________________

Name (print) Date

_________________________________ _________________

Signature Date


REHERSAL DATES

This crisis communication plan for increased levels of the bacteria patulin in Dole’s

100% apple juice will be practiced every six months. The dates for the next five years

are recorded below.

2010:

Wednesday, May 5

Wednesday, November 3

2011:

Wednesday, May 4


2012:

Wednesday, May 2


2013:

Wednesday, May 1


2014:

Wednesday, May 7



PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

Purpose:

Identify possible threats and crises

Minimize risks posed by those threats and crises

Provide employees with a set of guidelines so as to minimize uncertainty and

confusion in a time of crisis

In the event of a crisis, this will speed the response time and improve overall

effectiveness.

Objectives:

To be seen by the public as a company that cares about its customers and

employees

To communicate accurately and effectively during crisis

To ensure we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our

customers and employees

To make certain we understand the causes of crisis and take measures to

prevent them in the future

To ensure our customers are satisfied with our serves


LIST OF POSSIBLE CRISES

Below is a list of all the possible crises that could occur within Dole Food Company Inc.

Flood

Hurricane

Earthquake

Fraud

Embezzlement

Tornado

Suicide

Shooting

Employment (underage, illegal immigrants, etc.)

E-coli in bagged lettuce

Squatters on banana plantations

Employees stealing products

Bomb threat

Patulin in bottled apple juice

Dole’s labeling being misleading

The list above are all crisis that could possibly occur within Dole Food Company Inc.,

however during this plan we have chosen to focus on only one of the abovementioned

crises for this particular plan :

Patulin in Dole’s 100% bottled apple juice. Patulin is a toxic bacteria that can

be found in brown rot of fallen apples. Patulin has been found to cause

adverse affects of laboratory rats. Scientists are therefore concerned that the

same affects can occur in humans. This plan focuses on the recall of all apple

juice bottles distributed in the state of Virginia because they have been found

to have unacceptable levels of patulin in bottles distributed in the state.


LIST OF KEY PUBLICS

Dole Food Customers

Dole Food Employees

Executive Team

Board of Directors

Corporate Officers

Media

Shareholders

Competitors

o Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

o Del Monte Foods Company

o Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.

Government Officials

Public Officials

Surrounding Communities

Financial Partners

Community Leaders

Legal Representatives

Union Officials


PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFYING KEY PUBLICS

It is very important to notify all the key publics as soon as a crisis is learned about. In

order to be a successful leader in a time of crisis a leader must remember to communicate

early and often. This means that these publics must be notified immediately that

increased levels of patulin have been found in Dole’s 100% apple juice and must be

given updates as frequently as possible with any further information regarding the

subsequent recall and any other discoveries made.

Internal Publics Employees

Executive Team

Board of Directors

Corporate Officers

Shareholders

These internal publics should always be notified first before the other publics. However,

depending on the seriousness of the crisis, sometimes only critical personnel are notified

first and then following the critical personnel all other employees will be notified shortly

after. It is vital that these internal publics be notified prior to external publics because

these publics are the ones who keep this company running smoothly and have much of

their time and effort invested in the company’s future. A press release should be sent out

to the internal personnel outlining the who, what, when, where and why (if known) of the

incident. The board of directors will receive a phone call, via satellite phone, as well as a

e-mail because it is imperative that they hear of this issue as soon as possible because

they are the ones with the decision making power in a situation such as this.

External Publics

Customers

Media

Competitors

Government Officials

Public Officials

Surrounding Communities

Legal Representatives

Union Officials

Community Leaders

Financial Partners

Since the amount of External Publics is much larger than internal, the external publics

will need to be reached by different means of notification. These external publics will be

notified through the media, press briefings, press releases, town meetings and forums.

Dole Food’s will also put additional information regarding the crisis on our web site

www.dole.com and will be updated as soon as any further information is gathered.


CRISIS COMMUNICATION TEAM

This is a following list of the Crisis Team that must be contacted immediately in a chance

of a crisis. The team consists of Dole’s Corporate Officers, Board of Directors and Public

Relations team. David A. DeLorenzo is to be the first contacted via satellite phone. He is

the president of Dole Food Company Inc. and is in charge of calling the next on the list of

Corporate Officers, these lists will go on in the order listed below. He is also responsible

for then calling Elaine Chao who will call Andrew Conrad and continue in this phone tree

manner. Finally, David A. DeLorenzo is also responsible for calling Bill Stuart to start

the phone tree through the Public Relations Team.

Work

Phone

Cell

Phone

Home

Phone

E-mail

Corporate Officers

David A. DeLorenzo President-Dole Food

410-555-

2324

410-555-

5541

703-555-

5591 [email protected]

David H. Murdock Chairman and CEO

410-555-

5551

410-555-

5542

703-555-


Joseph S. Tesoriero Chief Financial Officer and

Executive Vice President

410-555-

5552

410-555-

5543

703-555-


Jean-Christophe Juilliard Executive Vice President of

General Counsel

410-555-

5553

410-555-

5544

703-555-


John T. Schouten Executive Vice President of

Strategy, Development and

Planning

410-555-

5554

410-555-

5545

703-555-


C. Michael Carter Corporate Secretary of the

General Counsel

410-555-

5555

410-555-

5546

703-555-


Yoon H. Hugh Chief Accounting Officer and

Corporate Controller

410-555-

5556

410-555-

5547

703-555-


Danko Stambuk Senior Vice President of

Manufacturing

410-555-

5557

410-555-

5548

703-555-


Roberta Wieman Executive Vice President of

Marketing and Public

Relations

410-555-

5558

410-555-

5549

703-555-


Bill Meehan Senior Vice President of Real

Estate

410-555-

5559

410-555-

5550

703-555-


Jennifer Volgue Senior Vice President of

Finance

410-555-

5560

410-555-

6767

703-555-


mailto:[email protected]












Board of Directors

Elaine Chao 410-555-

5518

410-555-

5568

703-555-


Andrew Conrad 410-555-

5519

410-555-

5569

703-555-


Dennis Weinberg 410-555-

5520

410-555-

5570

703-555-


David Murdock Jr. 410-555-

5521

410-555-

5571

703-555-


Sherry Lansing 410-555-

5522

410-555-

5572

703-555-


Donald T. Nicolaisen 410-555-

5523

410-555-

5573

703-555-


Thomas H. O'Brien 410-555-

5524

410-555-

5574

703-555-


Clarence Otis, Jr. 410-555-

5525

410-555-

5575

703-555-


Hugh B. Price 410-555-

5526

410-555-

5576

703-555-


Public Relations

Bill Stuart Executive Director

410-555-

5531

410-555-

5581

703-555-


Dr. Ramesh Rao Assistant Director

410-555-

5532

410-555-

5582

703-555-


Dr. Pamela Tracy 410-555-

5533

410-555-

5583

703-555-


Dr. Naomi Johnson 410-555-

5534

410-555-

5584

703-555-
















MEDIA SPOKESPERSON

In the case that high levels of the toxic bacteria patulin are found in Dole’s 100% apple

juice resulting in the immediate recall of all bottles in the state of Virginia, it is important

the spokesperson be knowledgeable about all components that may affect this crisis.

Because patulin has been found to be life threatening in laboratory mice and scientists

believe it will have the same effects in humans, David H. Murdock, Chairman and CEO

will be the head spokesperson for the recall of Dole’s 100% apple juice due to increased

patulin levels. He will be assisted by Roberta Wieman, Executive Vice President of

Marketing and Public Relations, as well as John T. Schouten, Executive Vice President of

Strategy, Development, and Planning. In a case were expert opinion is needed these

officials should call on professionals rather than attempting to answer questions with risk

of losing credibility. Bill Stuart, Executive Director of Public Relations will be with

these spokespeople at all times to ensure effective communication. Spokespeople should

utilize concise language, pleasant demeanor and an appearance that is rational, concerned

and empathetic.


EMERGENCEY PERSONNEL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS

Below is a list of Emergency personnel and political officials to be contacted in the event

of a recall of Dole’s 100% apple juice due to increase levels of the bacteria patulin in

bottles distributed across Virginia. They are trained to handle real life crises:

Colonel W. Steven Flaherty

Virginia State Police Department

Cell: 703-888-9910

Work: 703-999-1021

Home: 703-444-5555

E-mail: [email protected]

Connor Griffin Foote

City of Richmond Fire Department

Cell: 557-555-6789

Work: 404-555-6233

Home: 557-555-3264


Deputy Jon Matthew Washko

District of Columbia Police Department

Cell: 571-555-2543

Work: 202-555-4987

Home: 202-555-6342


Joel Sebastian Temme

District of Columbia Volunteer Fire Department

Cell: 571-555-0089

Work: 202-555-5542

Home: 202-555-6743


Tina Fey

Mayor of District of Columbia

Cell: 703-555-8922

Work: 202-555-6511

Home: 202-555-8832








KEY MEDIA

Below is a list of key media contacts that are to be invited to press briefings or made

aware of press releases. Listed are general media who can reach key publics.

Claire B. Gwaltney Mary E. Glass

Fox News Program Manager The Richmond Times Dispatch

Cell: 555-234-2343 Cell: 545-6789-9999

Work: 555-565-2347 Work: 787-999-0909

Home: 555-222-3454 Home: 804-666-0000

E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Tammy S. Pinkston

CBS News Program Manager

Cell: 555-343-4542

Work: 555-456-9382

Home: 555-999-8765


Al P. Herman

ABC News Program Manager

Cell: 555-386-4569

Work: 555-398-5963

Home: 765- 444-9999


Octavia A. Rush

USA Today News Section

Cell: 555-392-5932

Work: 555-391-4839

Home: 555-391-4839


Eugenia T. Fitzgerald

The Washington Post Business Section

Cell: 555-482-5839

Work: 555-382-9592

Home: 676- 786-8888









SPOKESPEOPLE FOR RELATED ORGANIZATIONS

Below is a list of spokespeople for related organizations. These people can be contacted

if necessary in the case of an emergency.

Harold Thomas

Chiquita Brands

Cell: 222-810-4343

Work: 222-810-8737

Home: 222-810-9345


Carrie Kessler

Del Monte Foods

Cell: 777-456-7398

Work: 568-836-5938

Home: 834-859-2847


Randy Harris

Fresh Del Monte Produce

Cell: 367-743-6738

Work: 834-437-3232

Home: 756-784-9873


David McCann

Fyffes

Cell: 501-837- 8473

Work: 501-905-7962

Home: 847-837-1490







Crisis Communication Center

If a recall of Dole’s 100% apple juice distributed within Virginia was needed due to

increased levels of the toxic bacteria patulin, all of the critical and non-critical crisis team

members are to convene at the Westlake Village, California headquarters. All employee

and verified crisis responders have a key to this building and have permission to use the

facilities as necessary.

Alternate Locations

If for some reason the Westlake Village, California headquarters are unavailable, here is

a list of alternate locations where the crisis team and necessary employees should

reconvene to set up the next steps to be taken in order to address the recall of Dole’s

entire 100% apple across the state of Virginia. In the event that Dole’s headquarters is

unavailable, the crisis team will move to the conference center at the Hyatt in Westlake

Village, California. We have permission from the hotel to use this building as our

headquarters for as long as necessary pending available space. In the event that the Hyatt

is in use in the time of crisis, the headquarters will be move to the Four Seasons also in

Westlake Village, California. Contact information for the both hotel managers is listed

below. These are the only places the headquarters should be stationed, as we have been

granted special permission to use them and they both provide excellent settings for media

interviews.

Hyatt Westlake Plaza

808 S. Westlake Blvd.

Westlake Village, California 91361

Bobby Yoder

Cell: 543-847-9752

Work: 324-453-3245

Home: 239-346-2347


Four Seasons Hotel

2 Dole Drive

Westlake Village, California 91362

Stacy Righter

Cell: 323-434-3424

Work: 134-435-4868

Home: 843-432-4857





EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

In most cases the crisis communication team will be located at Dole’s headquarters in

Westlake Village, California. Therefore, all equipment and necessary supplies are stored

in conference rooms and closets. If a situation should arise and the crisis communication

team cannot convene at Dole’s headquarters and the team is move to either the Hyatt or

the Four Seasons, each location has been provided with a list of pre-gathered materials

needed. This list is provided below. Also, a list of materials that should be gathered by

the crisis team and taken to the new site is listed below.

Pre-gathered materials at the site:

Tables

Chairs

Surge protectors

Extension cords

Wireless routers

Walkie talkies

Food and water Printers

Copy machine

Fax machine

Cameras and film

Podium

Stage

Microphone and amp

Television and radio

Telephone book

Telephones

Bulletin board

Chalk/ dry erase board

Clip boards

First-aid kit

Things brought by Crisis Team:

Personal laptop with broadband connection Copy of crisis plan Change of Clothes Employee Identification Cards Critical Documents- keep these accessible and all together so they can be

retrieved quickly in the event of an emergency Company letterhead, pens, pencils


PRE-GATHERED INFORMATION

The following information will be pre-gathered and stored at the Hyatt and Four Seasons

Hotel in case of an emergency. Crisis responders should refer to this information as

needed.

Previous 5 years Annual report

All Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding acceptable levels of

patulin in apple juice

File of all previous press briefings and press releases

Reactions to recalls

Dates of equipment inspections

Diagrams on the equipment makeup

List of regulations Dole requires workers to follow in order to prevent increased

levels of patulin in apple juice

Press kits full of information regarding the crisis

Figures regarding how many could’ve been affected

Background information on similar companies and reports regarding recalls they

have encountered

Layout or Blueprints of all possible Crisis Centers mapped out with designated

areas for certain departments

Company fact sheet

WEBPAGE

Dole Food Company’s Webmaster, Harrison Wright, will be constantly updating the

website with information about the crisis. The link to the website, as well as Wright’s

contact information is listed below.

www.dole.com/crisiscommunication

Harrison Wright

Cell: 555-666-7890

Work: 676-444-9090

Home: 333-888-9999


WEBSITES AND RELATED LINKS

Food and Drug Administration

www.fda.gov

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov

http://www.dole.com/crisiscommunication


http://www.fda.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/


KEY MESSAGES

Key messages must be short, concise, and specific and explain Dole’s stance on the crisis

at hand. They are to be repeated multiple times to the specific key publics and should

contain the most important information. Key messages usually contain William Benoit’s

Typology of Crisis Response Strategies or Ware and Likugel’s Rehetorical Strategies of

Apologia.

Corrective action- Promise to customers and employees to either repair the

damage caused by an offensive act or to prevent recurrence of the offensive act.

An example of this would be: “Dole Food Company, Inc. has strict apple picking

regulations in place in order to assure that this never becomes an issue again.

While we have many requirements for our products we are continually evaluating

them as necessary to so that our company may continue to ensure safe products.

Dole plans to hold a workshop with the plantation managers at One Hundred

Acres Farm in order assure that the workers are following these regulations to the

tee.” It is important to use corrective action as a strategy in conveying key

messages to the public because it shows that Dole is not ignoring the problem and

is actively trying to take steps to ensure that its customers are never troubled with

a recall again.

Compensation- Reduce offensiveness by reimbursing victims. An example of a

key message using compensation is: “Those customers who have been affected

by the increased patulin levels are advised to seek medical attention. Dole Food

Company, Inc. will pay for the required blood test in order to prove increased

patulin levels.” It is important to use compensation as a strategy in conveying the

key messages because it shows that Dole is willing to reimburse victims of this

crisis and shows that the company understands their customer’s feelings and

inconveniences.

Bolstering- Reduce the offensiveness by stressing the good traits of the company.

An example of this would be: “It has always been Dole’s mission to supply the

consumer and our customers with the finest, high-quality products and to leading

the industry in nutrition research and education. Dole is committed to following

all Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding acceptable levels of

patulin in apple juice.” By stressing the good traits of Dole, this is a step in the

right direction of earning the consumers trust back.

Differentiation- Reduce the offensiveness of the company’s actions by

dissociating the current event. An example of this would be: “Dole would like to

stress that this incident is very atypical for our company.” This strategy proves to

the customer that Dole has always been and will always be a trustworthy provider

of apple juice and other fresh food products.


TRICK QUESTIONS

It is important to remember that the media can often times ask trick questions in order to

try and crack the story. Many public spokespeople have fallen victim to these trick

questions and it is important to be aware and prepared for these types of inquiries. First

and foremost, remember that the only people who should be addressing the media are the

ones appointed for that position and have been outlined in this crisis plan with

appropriate contact information and chain of command. However, for those addressing

the media, it is important to remain calm and try not to become defensive when receiving

questions that you may not be fully prepared to answer. Remember to never speculate

about the crisis at hand and to stay honest and truthful when responding to questions.

Do you follow all national regulations regarding acceptable levels of patulin in

bottled apple juice?

o 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.

Do you have reason to believe that there is patulin in other Dole products that

contain apple juice?

o 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.

Why does Dole rely on a third party agency to conduct the necessary testing to

detect unacceptable levels of patulin?

o 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.

How will you notify daycares?

o 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.

How will you gain your customers trust back?

o Our customer’s satisfaction has been and always will be number one to us.

Dole prides itself on following all Food and Drug Administration

regulations regarding acceptable levels of patulin in bottled apple juice. If

any customer feels as if they are suffering from the affects of increased

patulin, we urge you to seek immediate medical attention.


SAMPLE PRESS BRIEFING

Good afternoon. My name is Lindsay Smith. I am the Chief Administrative

Officer for Dole Food Company, Inc. A routine food survey conducted by the Food

Standards Agency has found unacceptably high levels of a naturally occurring chemical,

patulin, in a sample of Dole’s bottled 100% apple juice. Of the three samples the

independent laboratory tested, only one sample had unacceptable levels. The affected

product is from batch code MAR10D and has a best before date of March 2010. The

apples used to make the juice were grown at the One Hundred Acre Plantation at Dole

Food’s headquarters in Westlake Village, California. The approximately 2,000 bottles of

apple juice within this batch have been made available to supermarkets across Virginia.

Patulin is a toxic chemical produced by a number of molds, such as brown rot in apples.

Patulin has been found to cause a range of adverse effects in laboratory animals. It can

affect the developing fetus, immune system, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract and

cause DNA damage. There is concern that similar effects may occur in humans.

Currently, two children have been reported with flu like systems. After several blood

tests, doctors linked this to a weakened immune system caused by high levels of patulin.

Their conditions is non-life threatening and the children are recovering comfortably at

home.

First, our hearts and prays go out to the families that have been affected. It has

always been Dole’s mission to supply the consumer and our customers with the finest,

high-quality products and to leading the industry in nutrition research and education.

Dole is committed to following all Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding

acceptable levels of patulin in apple juice. Dole would like to stress that this incident is

very atypical for our company.

When Dole was notified about the increased levels of patulin in our bottled apple

juice an investigation began in order to determine which batch contained the heightened

levels. Since it was determined by the Food Standards Agency that the infected apple

juice was in batch MAR10D, we immediately recalled all bottles that were in that batch.

We have issued a food hazard warning asking local enforcement officers to check that

apple juice from this batch has all been removed from sales. Consumers are also being

advised to not drink apple juice from this batch. A link to this warning can be found on

the home page of our website www. dole.com, it includes the skew numbers of all bottles

within the effected batch and a list of symptoms related to high levels of patulin

ingestion. The hotline 1-800-DOLE has also been set up for costumers to call to check if

their bottles are included in the batch and to report possible illnesses. Those costumers

who have been affected by the increased patulin levels are advised to seek medical

attention. Dole Food Company, Inc. will pay for the required blood test in order to prove

increased patulin levels.

Dole Food Company, Inc. has strict apple picking regulations in place in order to

assure that this never becomes an issue again. Our workers are given the following

regulations to follow to cut down on patulin levels.

do not use fallen apples

store apples in a cool environment

check apples regularly for an signs of rot or mold and remove those apples

immediately


wash equipment carefully after use

during the dormant season, remove and destroy all diseased wood and

decayed fruits

prune trees to allow good air movement through the tree and light

penetration into the tree

While we have many requirements for our products we are continually evaluating

them as necessary to so that our company may continue to ensure safe products. Dole

plans to hold a workshop with the plantation managers at One Hundred Acres Farm in

order assure that the workers are following these regulations to the tee.

We encourage our customers to contact us if they find defects in any of our

products so that we can continue to provide quality food for you and to raise awareness

about products that may cause illness. We sincerely hope that we can reduce any future

issues with our apple juice by keeping our customers up to date with information about

product recalls. We urge all customers to check our website for continuous updates.

Dole Food Company, Inc. values their customers and understands the trust consumers

place in us to ensure that our products are safe and we take this responsibility very

seriously. At this time I will accept questions from the press.


PRODROMES

Below is a list of actions Dole can take to prevent this crisis from occurring in the future.

These actions should occur often and regularly. Should any other warning signs arise,

they should be dealt with immediately with the interest of preventing a crisis.

Bi- annual inspections from the Food and Drug administration

Bi- annual background check of all Dole Food employees

Offer crisis planning

Stay informed of aging equipment and possible malfunctions

Weekly inspections of apple trees

Weekly pruning of trees to ensure air penetration

Bi-annual checks of communication technologies

Ensure that all apple pickers are following all regulations regarding acceptable

apples. This will be done through seasonal training sessions.


EVALUATION FORM

The following is an evaluation form. Please fill this form out and return it to your

administrator. This form will provide necessary feedback regarding the efficiency of this

crisis communication plan. Thank you for your corporation and please know that Dole

Food Company Inc. values our employees and realizes that we could not do it without

you.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very little and 5 being very much, please rate the

following statements.

1. I agree with the proposed bi-annual crisis rehearsal dates.

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

2. I understand my role in notifying the crisis communication team members.

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

3. My contact information provided in this crisis communication plan is accurate.

Yes No

Comments:

4. I feel comfortable conducting a press briefing.

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

5. As a whole, I think this crisis communication plan is effective and will be

beneficial to Dole Food Company Inc.

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

Education

Dole crisis plan