Metabolic Meals hit with Salmonella Lawsuit

https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/03/2026.03.31-Borden-Complaint-ECF.pdf

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state partners investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to Metabolic Meals home delivery meals. CDC opened this multi-state cluster investigation under ID 2508MLJEG-5.

As of November 21, 2025, a total of 21 cases of Salmonella were reported from 13 states (AR (1), CA (3), CT (1), GA (2), IL (2), MN (3), MO (3), MS (1), NY (1), PA (1), TX (1), WA (1) and WI (1)). Illness onsets ranged from July 24, 2025, to October 3, 2025. Of 19 cases with information available, eight were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. Cases ranged from 0 to 96 years (median 56). Sixty-two percent of cases were female. Whole genome sequencing analysis (WGS) showed that Salmonella from case samples were closely related genetically. This suggests that people in the outbreak fell ill from the same food.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) conducted their own outbreak investigation and defined a case as a person who had a S. Enteritidis infection with an isolate that was closely related (within 0 to 1 alleles) to the outbreak strain by WGS cgMLST, with illness onset from July 24 to September 26, 2025. Three Minnesota cases were identified as a part of this outbreak. Illness onset dates ranged from August 7 to September 26, 2025.

All MN cases reporting ordering food from Metabolic Meals and provided purchase records back to the end of June or beginning of July 2025. All three cases had deliveries during the week of July 28. This included the case with an onset date in late September, who reported freezing meals and eating them at a later date; however, this case was unable to confirm which meals were frozen and then eaten during the week prior to illness onset. All three cases purchased the Low Carb Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables and the Sliced Top Sirloin with Roasted Peanut Sauce and Summer Vegetables; two of three purchased the Four Cheese Ravioli with Beef Bolognese Sauce and the Black Garlic & Ranch Chicken Tenders with Roasted Vegetables.

State and local public health officials interviewed people about the food they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 15 people interviewed, 13 (87%) reported eating a Metabolic Meals prepared menu item. This suggested that people in this outbreak got sick from eating certain Metabolic Meals prepared menu items. Six cases provided purchase records. All had orders that included meals delivered during the week of July 28, 2025. One of these meals, the Low Carb Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables (lot code 25202, Best By: 08/05/2025), was purchased by all six cases. Three additional meals, the Four Cheese Tortellini with Pesto Sauce and Grilled Chicken (lot code 25199, Best By: 08/07/2025), the Black Garlic & Ranch Chicken Tenders with Roasted Vegetables (lot code 25205, Best By: 08/08/2025), and the Sliced Top Sirloin with Roasted Peanut Sauce and Summer Vegetables (lot code 25203, Best By: 08/06/2025), were purchased by five of six cases. These menu items, along with an additional meal delivered during the week of July 28 through August 3, 2025, with lot code 25204, were recalled by the firm on September 5, 2025. Additional meal lot codes included: 25199, 25202, 25203, 25204, 25205.

An inspection for the Metabolic Meals facility in St. Louis on August 29, 2025, identified violations concerning inadequate hand washing of meal cook, inaccessible hand-washing facility, unclean food contact and nonfood contact surfaces, improper food cooling practices, facility maintenance issues, and inadequate lighting. Reportedly, Metabolic Meals sent an email to customers who received the implicated meals on September 5, 2025, alerting them to the outbreak and instructing them not to consume implicated meals. However, in correspondence with a Minnesota case, they reported that they did not receive an email from the company regarding the outbreak.^[1]Ultimately, this outbreak was closed as a multi-state foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections associated with Metabolic Meals delivered the week of July 28, 2025. Neither a specific vehicle nor source of contamination were identified.^[2]

^[1]           Client reports she did not receive an email from the company.

^[2]           Investigation Update: Salmonella Outbreak, September 2025 | Salmonella Infection | CDC

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.