It’s a tough pill to swallow.
A popular supplement touted to help reduce stress and improve sleep is being recalled for concerns over salmonella contamination.
An infection from this bacteria is especially dangerous for young children, older adults, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. It can cause dangerous levels of dehydration, or enter the bloodstream and infect tissues around the body.
The supplement being recalled are ashwagandha pills, sold at Whole Foods and on Amazon.
The manufacturer, Vitality Works Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is recalling one lot (# 2025-26227) of their 365 Whole Foods Market Standardized + Full Spectrum Blend Ashwagandha Capsules.
The bottles are 120 count and sold in white plastic bottles. You can check the lot number and expiration date of 10/13/2028, both printed on the bottom of the bottle.
They were available for purchase from November 24, 2025 through October 20, 2026 around the country.
If you have it, don’t take it — throw it out and don’t return it to the store. Refunds are available at any Whole Foods Market store, the FDA said. Those with questions can contact Vitality Works Inc. at (505) 268-9950.
No illnesses have been reported to date. The potential contamination was identified through routine sampling of a single retail unit, the FDA said. They didn’t explicitly say they found a positive Salmonella sample.
Salmonella and ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a plant found in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its roots are dried and ground into powder for a number of traditional practices, including Ayurvedic medicine.
Some research shows that it can help lower stress, anxiety, and help with sleep quality and total sleep time.
Salmonella can contaminate plants like Ashwagandha before harvesting or during processing, and can lay dormant for months or even years in a dormant state and causing infection when swallowed.
This is a huge issue for food manufacturers, as salmonella has been showed to survive drying in spices and herbs like ginger.
After a person consumes something contaminated with salmonella, it multiplies in the small intestine, triggering an immune response that can cause cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
With a lot of vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration can become serious. The infection can also tear or cause bleeding in the digestive tract. If the bacteria gets into the blood stream, it can become life threatening — infecting the brain and spinal cord, heart, bones, and urinary tract.
Treatment will often address dehydration dangers with IV fluids, anti-diarrheal medications like Imodium, and antibiotics — though most recover without them.
Salmonella infects about 1.35 million in the US every year and is a leading cause of foodborne illness. This ashwagandha recall is just one of several that happened this year related to salmonella.
In August, jalapeños and fresh produce from Sinaloa prompted a recall of salsas, pico de gallo and other products from Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and H-E-B.
In July, more than 1.5 million packages of a dozen eggs were recalled. Earlier this year, a super green supplement was recalled for possible salmonella contamination.
