Another Popular Greens Supplement Is Contaminated With Salmonella. Food Safety Experts Investigate.

3 min readEARLIER THIS MONTH, the FDA announced that the company Lexunder Inc. is recalling its Food to Live brand green powder products over potential salmonella contamination. The recall was issued after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the company that a sample of its Food To Live brand Organic Supergreens Mix for sale tested positive for the bacteria.Nine products distributed nationwide have now been yanked, including powders from the brand’s Organic SuperGreens Powder Mix, Organic Moringa Leaf Powder, Organic Kale Powder, and Organic Wheatgrass Powder products. (You can see the full list here.) The source of the contamination hasn’t been identified, and Lexunder Inc. is suspending its production and distribution of its products while an investigation continues.The recall comes a few months after the FDA announced another recall of green supplement products that contained imported moringa leaf powder from India after it sparked a salmonella outbreak. Hundreds of people across the country became sick during the outbreak and 36 were hospitalized.While most people think of raw poultry and eggs with salmonella, food safety experts say it isn’t surprising for salmonella to lurk—and thrive—in dried green supplements.The Seemingly Infinite Number of Ways Salmonella Gets Into Green SupplementsWHEN MH ASKED food safety experts what could have gone wrong, it seemed like one small misstep could trigger a salmonella contamination.The most likely scenario is that salmonella was on raw plants that were used to make the powder, says Kalmia E. Kniel, PhD, professor and chair of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware. “It could be that contamination occurred during growth, harvest, and processing of these products.”For example, salmonella could have made contact with plants through contaminated irrigation water, animals interacting with the plants, or the use of improperly treated manure as fertilizer, adds Wade Syers, DSocSci, food safety specialist at Michigan State University. Syers also lists off contaminated equipment, or poor employee hygiene during growing, harvesting, processing, or packaging as potential sources.Once contamination occurs, Syers warns that dehydration may not eliminate the bacteria unless a validated kill step is used.How Does Salmonella Survive In Powders?THESE BACTERIA ARE actually pretty good at hanging on to dried, powdery ingredients. “Many people assume bacteria cannot survive without moisture, but Salmonella can persist in dry conditions for extended periods,” Syers says. “This is one reason we occasionally see salmonella outbreaks linked to dry products.”The Dangers of SalmonellaYOU CAN’T SEE or smell salmonella, so a product may look stable and shelf-safe while bacteria lurk inside, Syers says. salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections in the U.S. each year, making it a major source of food-borne illness.Eating contaminated food is the biggest cause of salmonella infections in the US. However, you can also get sick from drinking contaminated water or coming into contact with contaminated animals, animal poop, and the places where animals live.Most people with salmonella have watery diarrhea and stomach cramps. Some may also have nausea, headache, and vomiting. In severe cases, salmonella can spread outside of the intestines to cause infections of the blood, brain and spinal cord, bone, and joints. In a small group of cases, people with a salmonella infection may develop pain in the joints, known as reactive arthritis.How to Lower Risk of Contamination in SupplementsWHILE THERE HAVE already been two recalls linked to green supplements this year, Kniel stresses that not all products in this category are bad. “There are many other products not implicated in recent outbreaks,” she points out. Syers suggests only buying your supplements from trusted suppliers and keeping an eye on recall notices to make sure a product you’re using isn’t on the list.“There is no home treatment that will reliably make a contaminated powdered supplement safe after purchase,” Syers says. “If a product is recalled due to salmonella concerns, the safest option is to discard or return it.”Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.