Spring & Mulberry expands chocolate recall

Spring & Mulberry widened a voluntary recall on May 8 to cover additional chocolate bars sold nationwide after a company investigation linked the issue to a single lot of date ingredient. The Raleigh, North Carolina, company said the bars may be contaminated with Salmonella and told customers not to eat affected products. The expanded recall followed an initial January recall that began with one Mint Leaf bar lot and then broadened days later to several more flavors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted the company's notices on January 12, January 15 and May 8. ### Which bars are now covered by the expanded recall? The May 8 notice said the expanded recall covers all finished products made with the implicated lot of date ingredient, including Blood Orange, Coffee, Earl Grey, Lavender Rose, Mango Chili, Mint Leaf, Mixed Berry, Mulberry Fennel, Pecan Date, Pure Dark, Pure Dark Mini and Sea Salt. The company said the products were sold online and through select retail partners nationwide since August 2025. (fda.gov) The January 12 notice had covered only Mint Leaf Date Sweetened Chocolate Bar lot #025255. The January 14 update then added Earl Grey, Lavender Rose, Mango Chili, Mixed Berry, Mulberry Fennel, Pecan Date and Pure Dark Minis from specified lots made during the same period on the same equipment, according to the FDA-posted company announcement. (fda.gov) ### What changed between January and May? A January 14 company statement said the earlier expansion was tied to routine third-party testing by its contract manufacturer that found finished product tested positive for Salmonella. Spring & Mulberry said at the time that it was broadening the recall in consultation with the FDA because Salmonella can be difficult to detect and may appear intermittently. (fda.gov) The May 8 update said a subsequent root-cause investigation by manufacturing partners, food safety experts and the FDA identified a single lot of date ingredient used in the chocolate as the most likely source of contamination. The company said that finding prompted it to recall all finished products produced with that ingredient lot. (fda.gov) ### Were any finished bars confirmed contaminated? The May 8 notice said all products included in the expanded recall tested negative for Salmonella. The company said the action followed a recall by its supplier and was based on the ingredient investigation rather than confirmed contamination in the finished bars listed in the latest expansion. (fda.gov) The January notices described a different trigger. Those notices said potential contamination was first noted after routine testing by a third-party laboratory, and later after routine third-party testing conducted by the contract manufacturer found finished product tested positive for Salmonella. (fda.gov) ### Have any illnesses been reported? Spring & Mulberry said on May 8 that there had been no confirmed reports of illness associated with the recalled chocolate bars to date. The January 12 and January 14 notices likewise said there had been no reported or confirmed illnesses or adverse health effects at those earlier stages of the recall. (fda.gov) The FDA notice repeated the standard warning that Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, while healthy people may experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. ### How can shoppers check whether they have an affected bar? (fda.gov) The company said the recalled products can be identified by the Spring & Mulberry brand name, flavor name, lot or batch code and box color. The lot code appears on the back of the packaging and on the inner flow wrap, according to the May 8 notice and the company's recall page. (fda.gov) Consumers who bought affected bars should not consume them, the company said. To get a refund, Spring & Mulberry told customers to photograph the packaging showing the batch code and email the image to recalls@springandmulberry.com, then dispose of the product. The company's recall page says customer service responds during business hours Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. (fda.gov)