Updated July 30, 2026. San Diego County is investigating a Salmonella outbreak linked to the deli at Ramona Family Naturals Market in Ramona, California.
According to the County’s outbreak announcement, health officials have identified 13 confirmed and probable illnesses since June 21, 2026. Four people have been hospitalized.
Investigators believe the outbreak is connected to mayonnaise made with raw, unpasteurized eggs that was used in foods including chicken salads and red sauce. Ramona Family Naturals Market has stopped using raw, unpasteurized eggs in all deli foods while working with San Diego County Environmental Health and Quality and Public Health Services. The investigation remains ongoing, and the illness count or other details may change.
Do You Need a Salmonella Lawyer?
Pritzker Hageman’s national food safety lawyers are investigating illnesses connected to the Ramona Deli Salmonella outbreak. If you were diagnosed with Salmonella after eating at the deli, contact contact the Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team for a free consultation.
Ramona Salmonella Outbreak at a Glance
- Restaurant: Ramona Family Naturals Market deli in Ramona, California
- Illnesses: 13 confirmed and probable cases
- Hospitalizations: 4
- Patient ages: 27 to 60
- Illnesses reported since: June 21, 2026
- Suspected food: Mayonnaise made with raw, unpasteurized eggs
- Status: The restaurant has stopped using raw, unpasteurized eggs in deli foods, and the investigation is ongoing
What San Diego County Has Reported
The people included in the outbreak range in age from 27 to 60. The County’s initial announcement did not identify the supplier of the eggs, specify every deli item that may have contained the mayonnaise, or announce a recall tied to this local investigation.
San Diego County also said the strain involved in the Ramona deli outbreak is not related to the separate multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled Midwest Poultry shell eggs. Both investigations involve eggs, but public health officials are treating them as different outbreaks.
Why Raw Egg Mayonnaise Can Spread Salmonella
Raw shell eggs can contain Salmonella even when they look clean and unbroken. Mayonnaise and similar sauces may be served without a cooking step that would kill the bacteria. If contaminated raw eggs are mixed into a ready-to-eat food, Salmonella can be distributed throughout the batch and reach multiple customers.
The FDA advises restaurants and food-service operations to substitute pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products for raw shell eggs when making mayonnaise and other foods that are not thoroughly cooked. Pasteurization is designed to reduce dangerous bacteria while allowing the egg product to be used in recipes that would otherwise call for raw eggs.
Eggs have caused other serious Salmonella outbreaks, including a 2025 outbreak linked to organic eggs that included restaurant illness clusters. The Ramona investigation underscores why restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in uncooked sauces and follow strict refrigeration, sanitation, and cross-contamination controls.
Salmonella Symptoms and When to Seek Medical Care
Salmonella symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and typically last four to seven days. Symptoms may include:
- Watery diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus
- Severe stomach cramps
- Fever
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
Contact a healthcare provider promptly if diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than two days, stool or urine is bloody, a fever is higher than 102°F, or signs of dehydration develop. Dehydration signs can include very dark urine, little or no urination, intense thirst, dry mouth, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
Although many people recover, Salmonella can spread beyond the intestines and cause serious complications such as bloodstream infection, meningitis, bone or joint infection, and reactive arthritis. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at increased risk of severe illness.
What Ramona Family Naturals Customers Should Do
People who ate food from the Ramona Family Naturals Market deli and later developed symptoms should take the following steps:
- Seek medical care and ask about testing. Tell the provider when you ate at the deli, what you ate, when symptoms began, and that San Diego County is investigating a Salmonella outbreak. A stool culture or other laboratory testing may help diagnose the illness and connect it to an outbreak.
- Report the illness to San Diego County. The County asks people who are still sick and those who have recovered to report suspected foodborne illness. Call 858-505-6814 or use the San Diego County foodborne illness reporting instructions and form. The completed form can be emailed to [email protected].
- Preserve records. Save receipts, payment-card records, online order confirmations, photos, medical records, and the names of anyone who ate with you. Write down the date and time of the visit and every food or drink consumed while the details are fresh.
- Do not eat suspected leftovers. Keep food sealed and separate from other foods only if a health official or attorney asks you to retain it for possible testing. Otherwise, follow official disposal instructions.
- Document the impact of the illness. Keep track of missed work, medical bills, medications, travel for care, continuing symptoms, and any follow-up treatment.
Can You File a Ramona Deli Salmonella Lawsuit?
A person diagnosed with Salmonella after eating at the Ramona Family Naturals Market deli may have a legal claim if the evidence connects the illness to the restaurant or an implicated food. Whether someone can sue a restaurant for food poisoning depends on the facts and the available medical, microbiological, epidemiological, and purchase evidence.
Important evidence may include a positive Salmonella test, the timing of symptoms, a documented deli purchase, interviews conducted by health officials, identification of a common food exposure, laboratory comparisons of bacterial isolates, inspection findings, and traceback information. A public health agency does not always identify every contaminated menu item before a legal investigation begins.
Compensation in a successful Salmonella lawsuit may include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, future care, and losses caused by long-term complications.
How a Salmonella Lawyer Can Help
Restaurant outbreak cases can involve evidence held by the business, food suppliers, laboratories, healthcare providers, and public health agencies. An experienced food poisoning lawyer can move quickly to preserve records, obtain available health-department information, identify all potentially responsible companies, work with scientific experts, and document the full financial and medical impact of the illness.
Pritzker Hageman’s national Salmonella legal team has handled complex foodborne illness cases involving restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers, and distributors. The firm’s trial lawyers obtained a $6.5 million jury verdict for a child who suffered permanent brain damage from Salmonella and have secured other significant recoveries for people with severe Salmonella complications.
Contact Pritzker Hageman About the Ramona Salmonella Outbreak
Pritzker Hageman is reviewing claims involving the Ramona Family Naturals Market Salmonella outbreak. A free, confidential consultation can help determine what evidence may be available and whether a legal claim should be investigated.
Call 1-888-377-8900 or text 612-261-0856, or request a free consultation online. There is no fee unless the firm wins compensation for you.
Ramona Deli Salmonella Outbreak FAQ
As of July 29, 2026, San Diego County had identified 13 confirmed and probable cases. Four people had been hospitalized. Illnesses had been reported since June 21, 2026.
Investigators believe the outbreak is connected to mayonnaise made with raw, unpasteurized eggs. The County’s initial announcement did not identify every deli item that may have contained the mayonnaise or name the egg supplier.
No. San Diego County said the Salmonella strain in the Ramona deli outbreak is not related to the separate multistate outbreak associated with recalled Midwest Poultry shell eggs.
Call the San Diego County Food and Housing Division Epidemiology Liaison at 858-505-6814. The County also provides a foodborne illness intake form that can be emailed to [email protected].
Contact a healthcare provider and explain that you ate at a deli connected to an active Salmonella investigation. The provider can decide whether testing is still medically useful. Report the illness to San Diego County even if you have recovered.
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