Imagine reaching for a health supplement to boost your well-being, only to end up battling a nasty foodborne illness. That's the shocking reality for at least 45 people across nearly two dozen states who fell ill after consuming a popular diet supplement powder contaminated with salmonella. Federal health officials sounded the alarm on Wednesday, linking the outbreak to the Super Greens brand, specifically the Live it Up-brand products in original and wild berry flavors with expiration dates ranging from August 2026 to January 2028.
Superfoods Inc., the manufacturer, has issued a recall, urging consumers to immediately stop using, selling, or serving these products. The best course of action? Toss them in the trash or return them to the store. But here's where it gets concerning: the illnesses were reported over a span of four months, from August 22 to December 30, 2025, with at least 12 people requiring hospitalization. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The reach of this outbreak is staggering—cases have popped up in 21 states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. And this is the part most people miss: the FDA’s investigation is still ongoing, meaning more contaminated products could surface.
Salmonella poisoning is no walk in the park. Symptoms typically strike within hours or days of consuming contaminated food, bringing on diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. While most people recover within a week without treatment, it can be particularly dangerous for young children under 5, adults over 65, and those with weakened immune systems.
But here’s the controversial question: How did a product marketed for health and wellness end up causing such harm? Is it a failure in quality control, or a deeper issue in the supplement industry? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
This story was brought to you by The Associated Press Health and Science Department, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP retains full editorial control over the content.
