Kamal Ghorui
The North Carolina-based chocolate brand Spring & Mulberry has expanded its previous recall drive to cover its entire 12-line product catalog. The voluntary action comes amid fears of potential Salmonella contamination linked to an ingredient used in production.This announcement marks the second major expansion of the recall for the company, which is widely known for sweetening its chocolate bars exclusively with dates rather than refined sugar.Dates identified as the likely sourceAccording to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the sweep was expanded after an investigation pinpointed a specific batch of dates as the root cause.The agency stated that the investigation identified a lot of date ingredients used in the production of the company’s chocolate as the most likely source of contamination. In response, Spring & Mulberry is recalling every finished product manufactured using that specific lot of date ingredients.All twelve flavors may be affectedWhile the previous recall update in January affected eight specific products, the latest expansion pulls all 12 of the brand’s flavors from shelves. The newest additions to the recall list are Blood Orange, Coffee, Pure Dark, and Sea Salt.These join the eight products from the initial two rounds of recalls, which remain on the list: Mint Leaf, Earl Grey, Lavender Rose, Mango Chili, Mixed Berry, Mulberry Fennel, Pecan Date, and Pure Dark Minis.Despite the precautionary recall, the FDA confirmed that all products included in the expanded list have actually tested negative for Salmonella. Additionally, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the chocolates.How to get a refundThe recalled chocolates have been sold online and through select retail partners nationwide since August 2025. If you have purchased any of these products, health regulators urge you not to eat them and to throw them away immediately.To claim a full refund, you can email a photograph of the product packaging—making sure the batch code is clearly visible—to recalls@springandmulberry.com.Understanding the Salmonella riskSalmonella is a bacterial organism that can cause severe and sometimes fatal infections. The FDA warns that young children, the elderly, frail individuals, and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of severe illness. For healthy individuals, typical symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.In rare and severe circumstances, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream. If this occurs, it can lead to highly serious conditions, including arterial infections, endocarditis, or arthritis.Note:The affected lot numbers, printed on both the box and inner wrapper, include 025217, 025289, 025325, 025226, 025274, 025344, 025346, 025204, 025205, 025212, 025216, 026037, 026040, 025245, 025322, 025328, 025225, 025272, 025342, 025364, 025220, 025223, 025247, 025248, 025251, 025253, 025288, 025296, 025335, 026008, 025230, 025287, 025233, 025237, 025238, 025239, 025240, 025241, 025290, 025294, 025329, 025330, 025217, 025218, 025219, 025254, 025266, 025269, 025324, 025338, 025350, 025302, 025303, 026009, 026013 and 026014.
