Corporate brand
UnclaimedDole's juice product line
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Dole is the principal consumer-facing brand of Dole plc, an Irish-headquartered agricultural multinational whose roots extend to nineteenth-century Hawaii and Ireland. The company operates across the fresh-produce value chain, combining farming, procurement from independent growers, packing, processing, refrigerated transport, marketing and distribution. Its best-known products are bananas and pineapples, but the wider portfolio includes grapes, berries, citrus fruit, deciduous fruit, avocados, mangos, kiwis, cherries, organic produce and fresh-cut vegetables. Dole also markets leafy greens, salad kits and other prepared produce in selected markets. The corporate lineage behind Dole plc is unusually complex. It includes Castle & Cooke, founded in Hawaii in 1851; the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, founded by James Dole in 1901; Standard Fruit, a major Central American banana business established in the early twentieth century; and the Irish produce businesses that later became associated with Total Produce. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company shipped its first canned pineapple in 1903 and helped popularize pineapple in the United States through large-scale advertising and improvements in industrial processing. The company adopted the Dole name on its cans in the 1920s, making the brand visible even when products were distributed under retailer or distributor labels. During the twentieth century, Dole expanded from pineapple into bananas and other produce. Castle & Cooke took control of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company during the Great Depression and later combined it with Standard Fruit. In the 1980s, after David H. Murdock acquired Castle & Cooke, Dole broadened its presence in fruit, vegetables and distribution through acquisitions and international expansion. Hawaiian pineapple production declined as labor and land costs rose, and operations on Lanai were phased out in the early 1990s, but the Dole name continued to grow as a global produce brand. The company went through several ownership and strategic restructurings. Dole was taken private in 2003, returned to public markets in 2009, sold its packaged-food and Asian fresh-produce businesses to Itochu in 2013, and was taken private again later that year. Total Produce acquired a 45 percent stake in Dole Food Company in 2018. In 2021, Total Produce and Dole combined to create Dole plc, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in July of that year. The resulting group has its global headquarters in Dublin and maintains major operations in the United States and other producing and consuming regions. Dole's commercial model is based on scale, geographic diversification and control of time-sensitive logistics. The company owns or manages agricultural land, operates packing and processing facilities, works with contract growers, and uses refrigerated maritime and land transport to move produce from growing regions to retail, wholesale, foodservice and e-commerce customers. The business has historically operated through fresh-fruit, diversified fresh-produce and fresh-vegetable activities and has marketed hundreds of fresh plant products across dozens of countries. After selling its Fresh Vegetables Division to Arable Capital Partners in 2025, Dole stated that it would concentrate investment on its remaining core activities. In 2026, its Nordic subsidiary acquired Greenfood AB's Fresh Produce division, adding distribution capacity in Sweden, Finland and surrounding markets. The Dole brand also extends beyond produce directly operated by Dole plc. PepsiCo sells bottled fruit beverages under license using the Dole name. Dole has also used licensing and co-marketing arrangements with The Walt Disney Company involving Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters on produce packaging and promotional materials intended to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The brand's public identity combines agricultural scale with nutrition, freshness, convenience and family-oriented marketing, while its history has also exposed it to scrutiny concerning labor practices, pesticide litigation, land use, food safety and the environmental and social effects of large-scale tropical agriculture.
History
Dole plc traces its corporate ancestry to several nineteenth- and twentieth-century agricultural, food-distribution and shipping businesses. One strand begins in Hawaii, where Samuel Northrup Castle and Amos Starr Cooke founded Castle & Cooke in 1851. Another begins with James Drummond Dole, who arrived in Hawaii in 1899 and founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901. A further strand comes from Standard Fruit, established by the Vaccaro brothers and Salvador D'Antoni in the Central American tropical-fruit trade, and from Irish produce businesses that later developed into Total Produce. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company shipped its first canned pineapple in 1903. Pineapple was not yet a widely familiar American food, so the company invested heavily in magazine advertising and distribution. It also adopted new processing technology, including the Ginaca machine, which increased the efficiency of pineapple preparation and canning. In 1922, the company acquired Lanai and developed it into a major pineapple-growing operation. Castle & Cooke acquired a substantial interest in the pineapple company during the same period. By the late 1920s, the company accounted for a very large share of global pineapple production, although the Great Depression created financial strain. Castle & Cooke took control in 1932, and the business was later renamed the Dole Company and made a subsidiary of Castle & Cooke in 1961. Standard Fruit developed in parallel through banana production, shipping and infrastructure in Honduras and neighboring regions. In the 1920s, Panama disease damaged Gros Michel bananas, prompting Standard Fruit to adopt the Cavendish variety. This change helped the company become one of the world's leading banana producers by the 1960s. Standard Fruit merged with Castle & Cooke in 1968, bringing banana and pineapple operations into a common corporate structure. The combined group subsequently expanded into vegetables and other fresh produce. Castle & Cooke acquired Bud Antle, a California vegetable company, in the late 1970s. David H. Murdock acquired Castle & Cooke in 1985 after financial difficulties. Under his ownership, Dole expanded through acquisitions of fruit, nut and produce businesses, including operations on the U.S. West Coast. The group also continued to internationalize its plantations, processing and distribution network. Rising labor and land costs reduced the competitiveness of Hawaiian pineapple production, and Dole ended pineapple operations on Lanai in 1992. Murdock separated Dole from Castle & Cooke in 1996, leaving Castle & Cooke primarily focused on real estate while Dole remained a food and agricultural business. Dole encountered serious financial pressure in the early 2000s and was taken private in 2003. The period also brought extensive litigation relating to pesticide exposure, labor conditions and the company's activities in Latin America. Dole returned to public markets in 2009, but its ownership structure changed again after it agreed in 2012 to sell its packaged-food division and Asian fresh-produce activities to Itochu. The transaction closed in April 2013. Murdock then reacquired Dole, taking the company private in August 2013. Shareholder litigation over the valuation and process of that buyout culminated in a 2015 Delaware judgment requiring payments to shareholders. The European side of the eventual group developed through Fruit Importers of Ireland, Fyffes and Total Produce. Total Produce was spun off from Fyffes in 2006 and expanded through acquisitions in the United Kingdom and continental Europe. In 2018, Total Produce acquired a 45 percent stake in Dole Food Company. The two businesses merged in 2021, creating Dole plc and combining Dole's tropical-fruit and branded-produce heritage with Total Produce's broad European distribution network. Dole plc listed on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2021. After the merger, Dole plc continued to operate across fresh fruit and diversified fresh produce, supported by farms, contract growers, packing houses, manufacturing sites, distribution centers and refrigerated transport. Its consumer-facing activities include whole fruit, fresh-cut products and salads, while the Dole name is also used by licensees in beverages and co-branded nutrition promotions. Food safety has remained a major operational priority because the company handles open-field crops and minimally processed leafy greens. The company has faced repeated recalls and outbreak-related investigations, particularly involving bagged salads and spinach. In August 2025, Dole completed the sale of its Fresh Vegetables Division to Arable Capital Partners' portfolio company og Holdco, which owns organicgirl. Dole described the transaction as a way to focus investment on its remaining core activities. In July 2026, Dole Nordic completed the acquisition of Greenfood AB's Fresh Produce division, adding a large distribution facility in Helsingborg and expanding the company's Nordic footprint. The current Dole plc is therefore both a historic consumer brand and a multinational fresh-produce platform whose identity is shaped by agricultural scale, logistics, licensing, food safety and recurring portfolio restructuring.
- 2026
Dole Nordic acquires Greenfood Fresh Produce division
[4]Dole Nordic completed the acquisition of Greenfood AB's Fresh Produce division, strengthening its distribution platform in the Nordic region.
- 2025
Fresh Vegetables Division sold to Arable Capital Partners
[3]Dole completed the sale of its Fresh Vegetables Division to an Arable Capital Partners portfolio company.
- 2021
Dole plc formed and listed
[1]Total Produce and Dole Food Company merged to create Dole plc, which began trading on the NYSE in July 2021.
- 2018
Total Produce buys 45 percent of Dole Food Company
[9]The investment created a formal ownership and strategic link between Total Produce and Dole.
- 2015
Shareholder litigation judgment
[7]A Delaware court ordered payments to shareholders in litigation over the valuation and process of Dole's take-private transaction.
- 2013
Itochu transaction completed
[1]Itochu completed its purchase of Dole's packaged-food division and Asian fresh-produce operations.
- 2009
Dole returns to public markets
[1]Dole returned to public ownership and raised approximately $446 million in its offering.
- 2003
Dole taken private
[1]Dole was taken private after financial difficulties and a period of restructuring.
- 1996
Dole separated from Castle & Cooke
[1]Murdock separated Dole from Castle & Cooke, which became primarily a real-estate company.
- 1992
Lanai pineapple operations phased out
[1]Dole ended pineapple production on Lanai amid rising labor and land costs in Hawaii.
Products and positioning
A globally distributed fresh-produce brand built around agricultural sourcing, vertically coordinated cold-chain logistics, food safety, branded fruit and vegetables, convenience formats and broad retail and foodservice availability.
Fresh fruit
Dole bananas
Bananas are one of Dole's signature product categories and a central part of its tropical-fruit operations. The business sources, grows, packs, ships and distributes bananas through an international cold-chain network. Dole's banana activities have historically been associated with Central American production, refrigerated shipping and retail distribution. The company has also been linked to the industry's transition from Gros Michel bananas to Cavendish varieties after Panama disease disrupted earlier crops.
Fresh and processed tropical fruit · 1903
Dole pineapples
Pineapple is the product most directly associated with the historical Dole brand. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company began shipping canned pineapple in 1903 and used advertising, processing technology and branded packaging to make pineapple a familiar consumer product in the United States. Modern Dole pineapple offerings include whole fresh pineapples and prepared or processed formats in selected markets, sourced from international growing regions rather than relying primarily on Hawaii.
Fresh fruit
Dole grapes and berries
Dole markets grapes and a range of berries as part of its diversified fresh-produce portfolio. These products are typically sold through retail channels in whole, packaged and convenience-oriented formats. Their availability varies by season and market because the company combines production from its own agricultural operations with sourcing from independent growers and regional suppliers.
Fresh fruit
Dole citrus and deciduous fruit
The brand's wider fruit range includes citrus and deciduous categories such as apples, pears and related orchard fruit, depending on market. These products extend Dole beyond tropical fruit and support year-round retail programs through geographically diversified sourcing, seasonal planning, packing and distribution.
Fresh vegetables
Dole fresh-cut vegetables
Dole has marketed fresh-cut vegetables in formats designed for convenience, including chopped vegetables, shredded ingredients and prepared vegetable components. Historically, this category was part of Dole's Fresh Vegetables Division, which included whole produce and processed vegetable operations in the United States. Dole completed the sale of that division in 2025, so the current ownership and operating scope of particular fresh-cut products may vary by market and license arrangement.
Fresh prepared produce
Dole salads and salad kits
Bagged greens, salad blends, salad kits and shredded salad products have been an important convenience-oriented part of Dole's retail portfolio. These products combine fresh leafy greens with preparation and packaging designed for quick home consumption. The category has also been associated with several product recalls and food-safety investigations, making sanitation, traceability and plant controls central to its commercial management.
Licensed beverages
Dole-branded fruit beverages
PepsiCo has sold bottled fruit beverages under license using the Dole brand. These drinks extend Dole's consumer recognition into beverages but are not necessarily produced or distributed by Dole plc's fresh-produce operating businesses.
Organic fresh produce
Dole organic produce
Dole has marketed organic produce alongside conventionally grown fruit and vegetables in selected markets. Organic offerings reflect consumer demand for certified farming methods and provide an extension of the brand's fresh, health-oriented positioning. Product availability and the identity of the operating entity can vary by country and product category.
Controversies
2021
Packaged-salad listeria recall
Dole recalled a broad range of packaged salads and closed facilities in Arizona and North Carolina for cleaning after possible listeria contamination. The recall was associated with a multistate public-health investigation.
2021
Dole recalls packaged salads over possible Listeria contamination
Dole Fresh Vegetables announced a voluntary recall of packaged salads from its Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, facilities because of possible Listeria contamination. The company said the recall followed the finding of a Listeria strain in two products; health officials said the strain matched one they believe is responsible for 16 illnesses since 2014.
2020
Dole recalls two romaine products over possible E. coli contamination
Dole Fresh Vegetables voluntarily recalled two romaine products sold in Arizona and 14 other states because of possible E. coli contamination. The recalled products were Dole Organic Romaine Hearts and Wild Harvest Organic Romaine Hearts. At the time of the recall, no illnesses had been reported in connection with the products.
2016
Listeria outbreak linked to Springfield facility
A listeriosis outbreak was linked to Dole packaged salads from its Springfield, Ohio, facility. The outbreak resulted in hospitalizations and deaths, the facility was closed for sanitation, and the U.S. Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation. Later reporting stated that contamination had been identified before the eventual closure.
2015
Dole take-private shareholder litigation
Shareholders challenged the valuation and process of Dole's 2013 take-private transaction. In 2015, a Delaware court ordered David H. Murdock and former executive Michael Carter to make a substantial payment to shareholders.
2009
Colombian paramilitary-financing allegations
Families of Colombian banana workers sued Dole, alleging that the company financed or supported paramilitary groups implicated in killings, including attacks on trade union organizers. The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2010.
2003
DBCP pesticide litigation in Nicaragua
Nicaraguan banana workers brought claims alleging harm from exposure to the pesticide DBCP. A Nicaraguan court ordered Dole and chemical companies to pay damages, but the judgment was not paid. Later proceedings in the United States questioned whether some plaintiffs had worked on Dole plantations and identified alleged misconduct by plaintiffs' lawyers; the litigation remained a major source of controversy concerning pesticide exposure and labor conditions in the banana industry.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Character-branded fruit and vegetable program
United States · International
Dole continued licensing and promotional activity involving Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters on produce and related recipes.
Outcome. The program reinforced Dole's child-friendly nutrition and family marketing strategy.
- 2019Frozen II co-branded produce promotion
United States · International
Dole used co-branded recipes and produce promotions connected with Disney's Frozen II as part of its broader licensed-character marketing program.
Outcome. The campaign supported Dole's effort to make fruit and vegetables more appealing to children and families.
- 2016Disney produce co-marketing
United States · International
Dole worked with The Walt Disney Company to promote fruit and vegetable consumption through character-themed produce packaging, stickers, recipes and family-oriented promotional materials.
Outcome. The arrangement extended Dole's family and nutrition positioning and connected produce consumption with Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters.
- 1903National pineapple education and advertising campaign
United States
James Dole and other Hawaiian pineapple growers used magazine advertising and broad distribution to introduce pineapple to American consumers who were not yet familiar with the fruit. The campaign helped create demand for canned pineapple and established the foundation for a nationally recognizable pineapple brand.
Outcome. Pineapple became a widely recognized American food, while Dole developed a durable association with tropical fruit and packaged pineapple.
Brand decisions
2026
Acquisition of Greenfood Fresh Produce division by Dole NordicM&ABackground
Dole sought to expand its Nordic distribution scale and strengthen its position in Sweden, Finland and surrounding markets.
Action taken
Dole Nordic AB completed the acquisition of Greenfood AB's Fresh Produce division, including a 26,500-square-metre distribution facility in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded Dole Nordic's logistics platform and created a basis for investment in automation, robotics, inventory systems and warehouse technology.
2025
Sale of Fresh Vegetables Division to Arable Capital PartnersM&ABackground
Dole stated that divesting its Fresh Vegetables Division would allow the group to concentrate investment on its remaining core activities. The division included U.S. agricultural operations, three processing plants, whole vegetables, salads and salad kits.
Action taken
Dole completed the sale to og Holdco LLC, the parent of organicgirl and a portfolio company of Arable Capital Partners. Dole retained facilities in Huron, California, and Yuma, Arizona.
Aftermath
The transaction transferred the division's main operating business and more than 3,000 employees to the buyer while leaving Dole with limited transition involvement and a more focused fresh-produce portfolio.
Purchase consideration. $90 million cash, $50 million seller note and potential $10 million earn-out (Completed August 5, 2025)
2021
Merger with Total Produce to form Dole plcM&ABackground
Total Produce already owned a significant stake in Dole Food Company and sought to combine its European distribution platform with Dole's international fresh-produce and consumer-brand operations.
Action taken
Total Produce and Dole Food Company merged under the Dole plc name, followed by a New York Stock Exchange listing in July 2021.
Aftermath
The transaction created a larger multinational fresh-produce group headquartered in Dublin and operating across retail, wholesale, foodservice and other channels.
2013
Sale of packaged-food and Asian fresh-produce businesses to ItochuM&ABackground
Dole sought to reduce complexity and strengthen its financial position by selling major packaged-food and Asian fresh-produce operations to Itochu.
Action taken
Dole agreed to a transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion, completed in April 2013. The Dole name continued to be used for some products through licensing and branding arrangements.
Aftermath
Dole's operating footprint became more concentrated in core fresh produce, while the brand remained visible in some products no longer operated directly by Dole Food Company.
Transaction value. $1.7 billion (2012 agreement; completed April 2013)
Recent events
Reported
Dole and Marvel announce Dole Healthy Heroes, Assemble![13]
Marvel announced a new initiative with Dole, Dole Healthy Heroes, Assemble!, featuring collectible Marvel-themed banana stickers and pineapple tags in four waves through September. The program also includes a contest planned to launch at the end of March and Dole recipes to be released through September.
Reported
Dole sponsors UK Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign[14]
Dole confirmed its 2022 sponsorship of the UK Eat Them To Defeat Them campaign, which promotes fresh vegetables to school children.
Dole launches “Enjoy the Sunshine” gift-box series[15]
Dole launched its “Enjoy the Sunshine” series of six New Year fruit gift boxes in January 2022.
Reported
Dole recalls packaged salads over possible Listeria contamination[12]
Dole Fresh Vegetables announced a voluntary recall of packaged salads from its Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, facilities because of possible Listeria contamination. The company said the recall followed the finding of a Listeria strain in two products; health officials said the strain matched one they believe is responsible for 16 illnesses since 2014.
Reported
Dole recalls packaged salads over possible Listeria contamination[16]
Dole Fresh Vegetables announced a voluntary recall of Dole-branded and private-label packaged salads processed at its Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, facilities due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The source says the decision followed findings of the bacteria in samples from two products and notes that the implicated strain is believed by FDA and CDC to be responsible for at least sixteen illnesses since 2014.
Reported
Dole cuts proposed IPO price range[17]
Dole Plc said it plans to price its shares at $16–$17 each for its US IPO, down from the previously targeted range of $20–$23 per share.
Carrefour signs annual fresh-food cooperation agreements[18]
Carrefour signed annual strategic cooperation agreements with 14 domestic fresh-food companies, covering procurement categories including meat, fruit, vegetables and seafood.
Reported
Dole launches Sunshine for All Fund[19]
Dole Asia Holdings and its subsidiaries launched the Sunshine for All Fund, a $2 million annual fund intended to support global strategic partnerships and innovation in sustainability, food access and waste.
Reported
Employer Direct Healthcare's SurgeryPlus benefit added to Dole Food Company services[20]
Employer Direct Healthcare and Dole Food Company established a partnership under which the SurgeryPlus benefit was added to the services offered to members of Dole Food Company's self-insured health plans.
Dole launches #DoleUnstuffedBear campaign[21]
Dole launched its global #DoleUnstuffedBear campaign to raise awareness of childhood hunger, raise funds and donate nutritional foods. In New Zealand, Dole partnered with KidsCan and said it would match donations with product value up to NZD 50,000.
Sources26 sources
- 1Dole plcen.wikipedia.org
- 2Dole plc Board of Directors and Executive Managementdoleplc.com
- 3Dole plc Announces Sale of its Fresh Vegetables Division to Arable Capitaldoleplc.com
- 4Dole plc Announces Strategic Acquisition in the Nordic Regiondoleplc.com
- 5Dole plc 2025 Annual Reportdoleplc.com
- 6Dole plc Form 10-K filingsec.gov
- 7Dole shareholder litigation reportapnews.com
- 8NPR report on 2021 Dole salad recallnpr.org
- 9Total Produce buys 45 percent of Dole Food Companyirishtimes.com
- 10Listeria outbreak linked to Springfield facilitynytimes.com
- 11Dole recalls two romaine products over possible E. coli contaminationkjzz.org
- 12Dole recalls packaged salads over possible Listeria contaminationfox17online.com
- 13Dole 与 Marvel 宣布推出 Dole Healthy Heroes, Assemble!bleedingcool.com
- 14Dole 赞助英国「Eat Them To Defeat Them」活动freshplaza.com
- 15都乐推出“乐”享阳光系列礼盒tech.china.com
- 16Dole 因可能受到李斯特菌污染召回包装沙拉wtkr.com
- 17Dole下调拟议IPO价格区间rappler.com
- 18家乐福签订生鲜年度战略合作协议life.ycwb.com
- 19Dole推出Sunshine for All基金consumergoods.com
- 20Employer Direct Healthcare的SurgeryPlus福利纳入Dole Food Company服务prnewswire.com
- 21Dole推出#DoleUnstuffedBear活动scoop.co.nz
- 22都乐向有需要的社区捐赠新鲜农产品fox35orlando.com
- 23哥斯达黎加标准水果公司获社会责任奖calgarysun.com
- 24CDC investigating listeria outbreak linked to Dole saladstoday.com
- 25Dole Plc cuts price target for US flotationrte.ie
- 26Dole recalls salad products over listeria concernsfoxbusiness.com
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