The spectre of the most common cause of food poisoning — salmonellosis — is rearing its head in US food products again. Spring & Mulberry was the first brand to issue a voluntary recall for its chocolate bars. In the past week, the FDA announced two other food products have been recalled because of potential contamination from Salmonella bacteria.
Spring & Mulberry announced an initial recall of its Mint Leaf chocolate bar on Jan. 12, but expanded its list of potentially contaminated chocolate bars on Jan. 14 after consulting with the FDA. A day later, Superfoods said it was recalling its Live it Up Super Greens supplements. The following week, Navitas Organic joined the fray with a recall of its chia seeds.
Learn which chocolate bars, supplements and chia seed packages have been recalled and what you should do if you bought them, along with details on the other products and lots affected by Salmonella contamination over the past week.
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Which Spring & Mulberry chocolate bars were recalled?
The chocolate bar recall includes these eight flavors. Check your packaging for the following lot numbers:
|
Product name |
Lot number |
Box color |
|
Earl Grey |
#025258 |
Purple |
|
Lavender Rose |
#025259, #025260 |
Light blue |
|
Mango Chili |
#025283 |
Orange |
|
Mint Leaf |
#025255 |
Teal |
|
Mixed Berry |
#025275, #025281, #025337 |
Purple |
|
Mulberry Fennel |
#025345 |
Burgundy |
|
Pecan Date |
#025261, #025265, #025267, #025268, #025339, #025343 |
Yellow |
|
Pure Dark Minis |
#025273 |
Blue |
Credit: The Food and Drug Administration
Spring & Mulberry’s listed chocolate bars were flagged for contamination during routine third-party testing conducted by the company’s contract manufacturer. The Mint Leaf product tested positive for Salmonella.
Salmonella is a foodborne illness that can cause a bacterial infection after consuming contaminated food or drinks. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and can appear within 12 to 72 hours, according to the FDA. Salmonella can be life-threatening for children younger than five, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
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Initially, only the Mint Leaf flavor was recalled; however, Spring & Mulberry expanded the recall to other flavors made during the same timeframe with the same equipment, since Salmonella can be sporadic.
Other lot codes are not affected.
What to do if your Spring & Mulberry chocolate bars were recalled
If you bought Spring & Mulberry chocolate bars with one of the lot codes above on the packaging, do not eat them. Take a picture of the lot code and email it to [email protected] for a refund or replacement, then throw away the chocolate.
Spring & Mulberry’s recall email says that if you purchased your bars on Amazon, include your Amazon order number or a screenshot of your order because Amazon does not allow Spring & Mulberry to search for orders by customer name or email alone.
The FDA published the recall on Jan. 15. There aren’t any confirmed illnesses so far, and other lot codes are not affected.
A representative for Spring & Mulberry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What other products have been recalled in January for Salmonella contamination?
On Jan. 15, the same day the FDA published the Spring & Mulberry recall, the Superfoods company announced a recall of Live it Up Super Greens supplements from lots beginning with the letter “A” and all stick-pack products. The four affected products are:
- Live it Up Super Greens (UPC 860013190804)
- Live it Up Super Greens, 30 sticks (UPC 850077468063)
- Live it Up Super Greens, Wild Berry (UPC 860013190811)
- Live it Up Super Greens, Wild Berry, 30 sticks (UPC 850077468070)
The recalled products are packaged in green pouches with expiration dates ranging from August 2026 to January 2028 and have a lot number beginning with “A” or “3” for the stick packs.
Customers with packages of Live it Up Super Greens showing lot numbers beginning with “A” should throw them away.
Superfoods has instructed its customers to dispose of any affected Live it Up Super Greens packages. If you would like a refund, you’ll need to email [email protected] with your name, order number and a photo of the product.
On Jan. 23, Navitas Organics joined the brands affected by potential Salmonella contamination, agreeing to a voluntary recall of its organic chia seeds. The recall includes 8-ounce bags of the organic chia seeds in sealed stand-up pouches with the following lot numbers:
- W31025283 (expiration date April 2027)
- W31025286 (expiration date April 2027)
- W31025287 (expiration date April 2027)
- W31025311 (expiration date May 2027)
- W31025314 (expiration date May 2027)
- W31025315 (expiration date May 2027)
- W31025316 (expiration date May 2027)
- W31025317 (expiration date May 2027)
In the FDA notice, Navitas Organics notes that the recall is a “precautionary measure” following a recall from its chia seed supplier, and that there have been no reports of Salmonella in its products.
Eight lots of chia seeds from Navitas Organics have been recalled for potential Salmonella contamination.
Navitas Organics has instructed any customers with an affected package to “open the bag, discard the chia seeds and dispose of the bag in a manner that makes it unusable.” For refunds, you should call 855-215-5702 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
