Tips to help manage food recalls and prevent food poisoning
Preventable food poisoning causes approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year.
Peyton, America today
There has been an expanded recall of chocolate containing dates due to concerns about salmonella contamination.
On May 8, Spring & Mulberry expanded its chocolate bar recall to all finished products manufactured using batches of date ingredients, following what the company called a “comprehensive root cause investigation.”
“An investigation determined that a single lot of date ingredients used in the manufacture of the company’s chocolate was the most likely source of contamination,” the company said in a news release.
The news release said all products included in the expanded recall have tested negative for Salmonella and there have been no confirmed reports of illness. These bars will be available for sale online and in stores from August 2025.
The company originally announced a voluntary recall of mint leaf date chocolate bars in January after routine third-party testing confirmed possible salmonella contamination.
If you have an affected bar, please do not consume it. Refunds can be obtained by contacting Spring & Mulberry with a photo of the product packaging showing the batch code.
Influenced Spring and Mulberry Chocolate Bar Lot
The following flavors with lot codes were announced to be part of an extended recall.
- blood orange: 025217, 025289, 025325
- coffee: 025226, 025274, 025344
- Earl Gray: 025346
- Lavender rose: 025204, 025205, 025212, 025216, 026037, 026040
- Mango chili: 025245, 025322, 025328
- Mint leaves: 025225, 025272, 025342, 025364
- Mixed berries: 025220, 025223, 025247, 025248, 025251, 025253, 025288, 025296, 025335, 026008
- Mulberry fennel: 025230, 025287
- Pecan dates: 025233, 025237, 025238, 025239, 025240, 025241, 025290, 025294, 025329, 025330
- Pure dark: 025217, 025218, 025219, 025254, 025266, 025269, 025324, 025338, 025350
- Pure Dark Mini: 025302, 025303, 026009
- Sea salt: 026013, 026014
Symptoms and treatment of salmonella poisoning
According to the Food and Drug Administration, salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail and elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. Signs of salmonella poisoning include:
- Diarrhea that is bloody or that persists for more than 3 days without improvement
- Diarrhea and fever of 102 degrees or higher
- Excessive vomiting, especially if you can’t keep fluids down
- Signs of dehydration include a dry mouth and throat, less frequent urination, and feeling dizzy when you stand up.
- stomach cramps
Symptoms most commonly occur 6 hours to 6 days after exposure. Most people recover in four to seven days, but people with weakened immune systems, such as children under 5 and adults over 65, can experience more severe symptoms that require treatment and hospitalization.
