First Live it Up – dietary-supplement Salmonella Lawsuits have already been filed.
The outbreak tied to moringa leaf powder became one of the more notable dietary-supplement Salmonella investigations of early 2026 because it expanded beyond a single brand and eventually involved two Salmonella serotypes, Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport. According to the CDC’s final outbreak update dated March 17, 2026, investigators identified 97 illnesses in 32 states, with illnesses beginning between August 22, 2025, and February 27, 2026. Of 90 people for whom hospitalization information was available, 26 were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. CDC stated that epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory evidence showed that moringa leaf powder was contaminated with Salmonella and made people sick.
This investigation first drew national attention through Live it Up-brand Super Greens, but FDA’s work later broadened the picture. FDA reported on January 29, 2026, that the outbreak involved recalled Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powder and recalled Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules. FDA said its traceback investigation revealed a common manufacturer between the two products and that both used moringa leaf powder, which investigators identified as the contamination source.
The CDC’s exposure data strongly supported that conclusion. In its final update, CDC reported that 59 of 67 interviewed people (88%) said they had eaten a product containing moringa leaf powder before becoming ill. Of those, 55 reported Live it Up Super Greens only, 3 reported Why Not Natural moringa powder capsules only, and 1 reported consuming both. That kind of clustering is exactly the sort of evidence public-health investigators use to move from suspicion to a much firmer source attribution.
The laboratory evidence was also important. CDC reported that testing found outbreak strains in multiple samples. FDA detected the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport in two moringa leaf powder ingredient samples and the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium in an opened sample of Why Not Natural capsules. State partners also found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium in Live it Up Super Greens samples, including both opened and unopened products. CDC said these microbiological findings, together with the epidemiology and traceback evidence, showed that moringa leaf powder was contaminated and responsible for the outbreak.
FDA’s January 29 advisory explained how the investigation evolved. At that point, CDC had reported 65 illnesses in 28 states, including 14 hospitalizations and no deaths. FDA noted that 20 new illnesses had been identified since the prior update on January 15, and that those additional reports included a new outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport, expanding the event beyond the initially recognized Typhimurium pattern. FDA also said that lot A25G051 of Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules, with expiration date 07/2028, may have been contaminated with the strains making people sick in the outbreak.
The recall footprint was substantial. FDA said all Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powder, including original and wild berry flavors, with lots beginning with the letter “A” and all stick pack products with expiration dates from 08/2026 to 01/2028 were recalled. FDA also advised consumers not to eat, sell, or serve Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules lot A25G051 with expiration date 07/2028. The products were sold primarily online, including on company websites and marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.
Additional Information: The Company Behind Live it Up-Brand Super Greens
The Live it Up products at the center of the outbreak were made by Superfoods, Inc., doing business as Live it Up, of New York, New York, according to FDA. FDA’s advisory states that on January 15, 2026, Superfoods, Inc. recalled all Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powder with expiration dates from 08/2026 to 01/2028. The listed products included the standard Live it Up Super Greens pouch, 30-stick packs, and corresponding Wild Berry versions.
Live it Up’s own website presents the company as a wellness-focused supplement brand. Its “About” page identifies Haim Nigri as Co-Founder & CEO and lists a small team including Rachel Gargano, described as Chief Registered Dietitian. On its marketing pages, the company says its products are made in the USA, are third-party tested, and are produced in Good Manufacturing Practices-certified facilities. Another Live it Up page states that Super Greens contains moringa among its featured ingredients. Those claims are notable because the outbreak shows that even products marketed as health-oriented, premium, or quality-controlled can still become vehicles for serious foodborne illness when contamination enters the ingredient or manufacturing chain.
In practical terms, the Live it Up portion of this outbreak is a reminder that dietary supplements are not immune from the same contamination problems that affect conventional foods. Powdered products, especially those with long shelf lives and wide online distribution, can remain in homes long after an outbreak is announced. CDC specifically noted on March 17, 2026, that although the outbreak was over, the products had a long shelf life and could still be in consumers’ homes.
The “Other” Company Implicated Appears to be Why Not Natural
Why Not Natural is a woman-owned company founded by Kelin Marquet, a chemical engineer. The brand is focused on creating clean, filler-free supplements. The company, specifically under the entity Art Monkey LLC dba Why Not Natural of Houston, TX, produces the Why Not Natural Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules.
The Dangers of Salmonella Food Poisoning
Salmonella food poisoning is often dismissed as “just stomach flu,” but that understates the danger. FDA explains that illness usually begins 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food and commonly causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Symptoms usually last four to seven days, but some infections become severe enough to require hospitalization.
The people at highest risk for severe disease include young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. In these populations, Salmonella can do far more than cause short-term gastrointestinal misery. Severe dehydration can develop quickly, and in some patients the bacteria can spread beyond the intestines into the bloodstream or other body sites, creating much more serious medical problems. FDA specifically warns that these vulnerable groups are more likely to experience severe infections.
This outbreak illustrates those dangers with real numbers. By the CDC’s final count, 26 people were hospitalized, which is a substantial hospitalization burden for a supplement-associated outbreak. CDC also emphasized that the true number of sick people was likely much higher than the confirmed count because many infected people recover without being tested or reported. In other words, official outbreak figures usually represent only the visible portion of a larger problem.
Another danger is that Salmonella contamination can lead to cross-contamination in the home. FDA advised consumers to carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the recalled products touched. That warning matters because powders and supplement residues can spread onto counters, scoops, cups, kitchen tools, and storage areas, potentially exposing other household members even after the original product is discarded.
Closing Takeaway
The moringa leaf powder outbreak shows how a seemingly niche ingredient in the dietary-supplement market can seed a large multistate outbreak when contamination reaches distributed products. Federal investigators ultimately tied Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport illnesses to contaminated moringa leaf powder used in both Live it Up Super Greens and Why Not Natural capsules, with CDC recording 97 confirmed illnesses across 32 states. The investigation also shows the value of combining epidemiology, traceback work, and laboratory testing to move from suspicious product reports to a clear source determination.
Ron Simon & Associates Filed the First Lawsuit in the Outbreak
As the moringa leaf powder outbreak began to unfold, Ron Simon & Associates moved quickly into the litigation phase. According to a January 15, 2026 PR Newswire release, the firm, along with co-counsel Pete Flowers of Meyers & Flowers, LLC, filed the first lawsuit tied to the Live it Up Super Greens Salmonella outbreak on behalf of Wesley Williams. The release states that Williams purchased Live It Up Super Greens dietary supplement powder online, consumed it in December 2025, and later became ill with Salmonella. The case was filed in Kane County, Illinois.
The timing of that filing is notable because it came at essentially the same moment federal regulators were publicly identifying the product as part of a national outbreak. FDA’s outbreak page shows that on January 15, 2026, FDA and CDC were already investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powder produced by Superfoods, Inc. dba Live it Up. That means the first lawsuit was filed at the front edge of the public-health response, before the investigation later expanded to include an additional product and a second Salmonella serotype, Salmonella Newport.
Ron Simon & Associates’ own outbreak page likewise states that the firm filed the first lawsuit in the outbreak on January 15, 2026, and identifies the plaintiff as Wesley Williams. That page says Williams consumed Live It Up Super Greens in December 2025 and developed Salmonella just after the birth of his first child, forcing him to quarantine away from his newborn for more than a week. Those allegations underscore a point often missed in outbreak reporting: a Salmonella case is not merely a short-lived gastrointestinal inconvenience. It can disrupt work, family life, caregiving, and basic human contact at some of the most important moments in a person’s life.
The litigation did not stop with that first filing. By January 28, 2026, PR Newswire reported that Ron Simon & Associates had also filed the first Wisconsin lawsuit linked to contaminated Live It Up Super Greens, this time in Walworth County, Wisconsin. That progression suggests the outbreak was producing claims in multiple jurisdictions as the number of identified victims increased and the government investigation continued to develop.
