Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls,Salmonella on December 11, 2025
An outbreak of Salmonella in spring mix salad has quietly come to a close. No information has been made public until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially closed the outbreak this week.
What do we know about this outbreak of Salmonella in spring mix lettuces, why did the investigation fail to find a source, and what could be done to improve future investigations.
Let’s explore!
At least 40 people were sickened with the same strain of Salmonella Lomalinda that has been unofficially linked to spring mix lettuces.
According to the FDA, patients with the same strain of Salmonella Lomalinda reported eating spring mix lettuce before becoming sick. While epidemiological surveys connected those dots, traceback investigations fell short.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, along with state and local partners collected and analyzed both products and environmental samples.
All samples collected were reported as negative for Salmonella.
Once enough data was gathered to confirm spring mix as the source of the outbreak, the outbreak was no longer considered “ongoing,” any available product was beyond its shelf life and no longer available for sale.
The FDA classified the outbreak as over with “no ongoing risk to public health.”
For those who became sick, this was likely a disappointing announcement.
With most people only experiencing mild illness, a good portion of people who became sick likely did not seek medical attention. Therefore, their samples were never tested for Salmonella, and their statements were not included in the outbreak investigation epidemiological efforts.
This missing data could have been the key to solving the mystery of what caused these illnesses. A point worth mentioning in support of reporting any foodborne illness. However mild it might be.
But first, what is Salmonella and what kind of complications does it cause?
Salmonella is a microscopic germ responsible for salmonellosis illness.
The CDC estimates that Salmonella bacteria are responsible for around 1.35 million infections in the United States each year. Of those, around 26,500 people experience illnesses severe enough to require hospitalization. About 420 of those patients die from infection.
Food is the most common source of these salmonellosis illnesses.
Salmonella bacteria are responsible for the intestinal illness, salmonellosis.
Common symptoms include:
Most people experience symptoms in as little as six hours and up to six days after exposure. In some cases, illness onset could be much longer.
Severity and length of illness often varies from person to person. Most people experience mild illness that passes quickly. Others may experience severe illness lasting weeks or even months after initial symptoms.
Most people, however, feel better within a week (four to seven days).
Certain groups of people have conditions or susceptibilities that make them more likely to become sick if exposed and experience more severe symptoms if infected.
Those more vulnerable to Salmonella infection include:
Those more likely to experience sever symptoms include:
While most people do not need medical intervention and are not prescribed antibiotic treatment, those in the higher risk group are more likely to receive treatment.
In some cases, complications may arise from infection.
Most of the time Salmonella bacteria are limited to the intestinal tract. However, in some cases, the bacteria can breach the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream capillaries and veins found there. When this happens, bacteria may infect the urinary tract, blood, bones, joints, and even the nervous system.
Common Salmonella complications include reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and bacteremia that can affect other parts of the body.
Reactive arthritis, a condition affecting the collagen in the joints, eyes, and urethra, is a common complication. This type of infection causes joint pain, irritation of the eyes, and pain during urination. Reactive arthritis symptoms may last for months or even years in some people.
Irritable bowel syndrome is another common complication of Salmonella illness. In some cases, it can take quite some time before bowel habits return to normal.
Bacteremia associated with Salmonella infections can affect many different tissues in the body. Resulting in a variety of infections.
Potential bacteremia infections include:
Unfortunately, those 40 people sickened with Salmonella illness did not get closure for their illnesses. Beyond the likely source being “spring mix.” No manufacturer was held accountable. Medical bills fell onto the responsibility of those with food poisoning. Lost work, caring for a sick loved one, or the priceless loss of one. All these things and other burdens associated with foodborne illness add up.
To make matters worse, no recall was initiated. Which means that until product expired, more and more people were exposed to this harmful germ.
Even if you do not need medical attention, you can report your illness to your local health department or the FDA through the MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form. The more information investigators have (and quickly), the more effective the traceback investigation can be to determine a source.
If you have been impacted by this outbreak of Salmonella in spring mix lettuce, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a Salmonella lawyer that can help.
Reach out by calling (833) 330-3663 or send us an email for a free, no obligation consultation. A member of our compassionate team will go over the details of your situation with you to help determine if you have a legal case.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Did You Get Salmonella from Spring Mix Lettuce Recently? You Are Not Alone!,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)