IN Brief:
- Voluntary recall covers lot #025255 of a 2.1 oz bar.
- Product sold online and via select retail partners since Sept 2025.
- No reported illnesses; trigger was routine third-party laboratory testing.
Spring & Mulberry has issued a voluntary recall of lot #025255 of its Mint Leaf Date Sweetened Chocolate Bar (2.1 oz) due to possible contamination with Salmonella, according to a company announcement posted by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA lists both the company announcement date and its publish date as January 12, 2026. The recall applies to a specific lot, with the company stating the affected product can be identified by brand name (Spring & Mulberry), box colour (teal), flavour name (Mint Leaf), and the lot code (#025255), which appears on the back of the packaging and inner flow wrap.
Spring & Mulberry said the product has been available for purchase online and through select retail partners nationwide since September 15, 2025. The company reported no illnesses or adverse health effects to date, describing the move as proactive and stating that the potential contamination was noted after routine testing by a third-party laboratory.
Even with modern controls, contamination risk can surface via verification rather than consumer complaints. Third-party testing can be an early warning system, but it also forces difficult decisions at speed — isolating lots, validating cleaning and environmental monitoring data, and determining whether the issue is localised or systemic.
Chocolate is not typically the first product category that the average consumer associates with Salmonella, but low-moisture foods can still carry risk, particularly where ingredients, post-process handling, or facility hygiene controls introduce pathways for contamination. Once the pathogen is in the system, the brand impact can be disproportionate to the physical volume recalled.
Spring & Mulberry is advising customers to dispose of the affected product and request a refund by contacting the company with a photo of the lot code. The company’s announcement includes a dedicated email contact for recall enquiries.
Recalls are never good news, but the discipline of lot-specific action — and fast, clear identification details — is still the least-bad way to contain both risk and operational fallout.
