FDA Announces a New Salmonella Outbreak and a Dried Mushroom Recall Due to Salmonella in the Same Day. Coincidence?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new Salmonella outbreak on July 9, 2025.

That same day, another announcement was made.

Dried mushrooms have been recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Is this a coincidence? Are the two announcements connected?

Here’s what we know about the new Salmonella outbreak and dried mushroom recall so far.

New Salmonella Outbreak

The new Salmonella outbreak posted on July 9, 2025 involves Salmonella Anatum.

This Salmonella serotype is listed in the top 20 “serotypes of concern list.” A status reserved for the more common serotypes like Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and Thompson you have likely seen in the news. Even among the ones you may not recognize, like Schwarzengrund and Berta.

So far, at least ten cases have been linked to this Salmonella Anatum outbreak.

No food source has been identified. But it is early in the traceback investigation process.

Previous Salmonella Anatum outbreaks have been associated with hot pepper and papaya.

Hopefully a food source will be identified soon. Perhaps it already has been but testing results are not finalized.

Wei-Chuan brand dried mushrooms, I’m looking at you!

Natureen International Inc., Recalls Wei-Chuan Dried Black Fungus Slice

On July 9, 2025, Natureen International Inc., of Walnut California, issued a recall for 244 bags of their dried mushroom product. Wei-Chuan Dried Black Fungus Slice.

This recall announcement comes after testing revealed the presence of harmful Salmonella bacteria. Such information was provided to the FDA from the California Department of Public Health.

It is unclear which serotype of Salmonella is involved in this potential contamination or if the findings are linked to the new Salmonella outbreak that just popped up on the FDA’s Active Foodborne Outbreak Investigation table.

Recalled product contains thin sliced, dried black mushrooms in a clear bag with red, black, and gold on the package.

Chinese characters are predominantly printed on the package.

These 2.5 oz bags were distributed through direct delivery to retail stores and supermarkets from the Wei-Chuan Chicago Branch to the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

The lot number (lot # XJ17) and expiration date (EXP: 20260417) are printed on the bottom of the front side of the package.

Product Recall:

Wei-Chuan Dried Black Fungus Slice

2.5 oz bag

Lot # XJ17

EXP: 20260417

Natureen International, Inc. has ceased production of this Wei-Chuan Dried Black Fungus Slice product while the company investigates the source of the problem.

Is the New Salmonella Outbreak Related to the Dried Mushroom Recall?

This makes me ask the question again. Is the new Salmonella outbreak related to the dried mushroom recall?

At this time, there is no concrete connection between the Salmonella outbreak and this specific recall notice.

The announcement indicates that “no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.”

However, additional information may change that statement.

If you are a frequent reader of our humble Make Food Safe Blog (and if you are new here, welcome!) you already know that there is a lag between the time a person begins feeling sick and their illness being connected to an outbreak.

Many factors are involved that determine how quickly this occurs. But it is not uncommon for at least a month’s delay between illness onset and a new case being added to the Active Outbreak Investigation table.

How Does an Outbreak Investigation Work?

How exactly does the outbreak investigation process work?

Unfortunately, it starts with a sick person seeking medical care or reporting their illness.

Illness Reported

Not everyone who becomes sick from a foodborne illness requires medical care. Even fewer report their illness to their local health department if they become sick.

Consequently, there is a great deal of missing data in an outbreak investigation.

But the first step is a person seeking medical care or reporting their illness.

Their healthcare provider (if they need medical attention) or local health department (if they do not) will test the sick person’s sample to identify the germ responsible for their illness.

In this case, Salmonella.

Screening tests typically only identify the major germ responsible. The healthcare provider can prescribe appropriate treatment (if any), and the local health department notifies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These samples are forwarded to the CDC for further analysis. Whole genome sequencing (WGS). This diagnostic test identifies the genetic data specific to that patient’s Salmonella strain. Genetic information can be compared to other data in a database where other sick patient samples, food samples, and routine surveillance samples are stored.

If a cluster of illnesses or a match to a food source is identified, we have an outbreak.

Traceback Investigation

Following this announcement, a traceback investigation takes place.

Patients are interviewed, receipts are checked, sometimes grocery shopping card data is gathered. All in pursuit of finding a common food source.

Once a common food source is identified, the manufacturer or other source can be investigated. A recall is announced, and the tainted product is removed from the market.

But what if the recall happens first?

Routine Surveillance Sampling Activities

Sometimes, the product is flagged before a cluster of illnesses makes their way through the process.

As part of the FDA’s role in maintaining food safety in the country, routine surveillance sampling activities are performed. Sometimes this happens at the national level with Federal inspectors. Other times, it happens at the State level, with local Health Department sampling activities.

The outcome is the same, regardless.

If a sample tests positive for a foodborne microbe, it is sent to the CDC where it undergoes whole genome sequencing. That genetic data is uploaded into a database and compared to sick patient samples.

If a match is made, we have an outbreak.

Whether the investigation starts with the product or the patient sample, going through the process takes time.

So, it is possible that this new Salmonella outbreak is related to the new dried mushroom recall. Only time (and more data) will tell.

What is Salmonella and How Bad Is It?

Salmonella are microscopic bacteria that can cause illness in humans and animals. Most often, this germ is associated with food or contaminated water.

Around 1.35 million cases of Salmonella illness occur in the United States each year, making it a leading cause of foodborne illness in the country.

Unfortunately, only a fraction of Salmonella infections are diagnosed. The CDC estimates that only 1 in every 30 infections are reported.

How Do You Know If You Have Salmonella Illness?

Protecting yourself and others from Salmonella illness involves knowing the signs. Once infected, others can spread the illness to you, food contact surfaces, and ready-to-eat foods.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection usually involve nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever.

People usually begin feeling sick anywhere from 6 hours to 6 days after exposure. Most of the time people feel better within a week.

Most normally healthy people recover on their own without medical assistance. Severity, however, can vary from person to person.

In some cases, the germ can get into the bloodstream and cause additional, potentially life-threatening complications. You may develop arterial infections (infected aneurysms, endocarditis, or a condition known as reactive arthritis that can persist long-term).

Have You Become Sick with Salmonella Illness Recently?

If you have become sick with Salmonella recently, you may be part of a larger Salmonella outbreak.

This type of illness can take a toll. Both on the body and the bank account. Medical bills, missed work, the stress of caring for a sick loved one, and other burdens associated with foodborne illness add up.

If you wish to make a legal claim, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a Salmonella lawyer that can help.

The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has successfully represented cases just like yours and won millions of dollars in food poisoning and products liabilities lawsuits.

Reach out by calling (833) 330-3663 or send us an email for a free, no obligation consultation.

By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)