Trouble for anxiety sufferers as Whole Foods anti-anxiety capsules are recalled over Salmonella fears
Popular anti-anxiety capsules sold at Whole Foods have been recalled after manufacturers discovered possible Salmonella contamination.
The product – 365 Whole Foods Market Standardized + Full Spectrum Blend Ashwagandha Capsules by Vitality Works – was recalled on Friday after manufacturers identified the contamination during routine testing, according to the Food & Drug Administration.
The potentially contaminated product has been on shelves since October 20 and is available for purchase until November 24.
The recalled product is sold in a white pill bottle and contains 120 capsules. Consumers should be aware of the product’s lot number – 2025-26227 and expiration date, 10/13/2028.
The ashwagandha pills are sold on Amazon and at Whole Foods. There are currently no illnesses associated with the pills.
Customers who purchased the recalled product have been advised to discard it immediately. Whole Foods is also offering refunds.
Salmonella is a bacterium and is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach pains. People typically get Salmonella from raw or undercooked foods.
Ashwagandha capsules sold at Whole Foods have been recalled by the FDA after a potential Salmonella contamination (file photo)
The Food and Drug Administration has advised anyone who purchased the above product to discard it immediately
365 Whole Foods Market Standardized + Full Spectrum Blend Ashwagandha Capsules by Vitality Works may be contaminated. The product’s lot number is 2025-26227, and its expiration date is 10/13/2028
Symptoms can arise anywhere from a few hours to a few days after exposure. Salmonella is also contagious and can spread by touching surfaces holding the bacteria.
The infection can be managed through rehydration and antibiotics. However, children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems or sickle cell disease are at a higher risk of developing a serious illness from Salmonella.
Salmonella can occasionally enter the bloodstream, leading to more severe illnesses like aneurysms, arthritis and sepsis.
The infection is rarely fatal, but can result in death if it spreads to other parts of the body and causes organ failure.
Salmonella is rarely found in vitamins and supplements. However, in July, the CDC recalled multiple moringa powder capsules due to contamination.
The outbreak impacted 131 individuals across 38 states. Of those cases, 36 individuals were hospitalized after Salmonella infection, and no one died.
Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause uncomfortable and painful symptoms, occassionally leading to death or hospitalization. The bacterium is pictured above
Ashwagandha is a plant linked to improvements in sleep and anxiety. A photo of the ashwagandha root is pictured above (file photo)
Ashwagandha is a plant used in traditional medicine to help with sleep, stress, anxiety and cognitive function.
Ashwagandha supplements are typically made with extracts from the plant’s roots or leaves.
The plant is not a prescribed medicine, but studies have shown that those who took it reported feeling less stressed and anxious, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Vitality Works for comment.
