It’s a hard pill to swallow. A popular supplement touted to help reduce stress and improve sleep is being pulled from the market over concerns about salmonella contamination. An infection with this bacteria is especially dangerous for young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. It can cause dangerous levels of dehydration or enter the bloodstream and infect tissues throughout the body. A popular sleep and stress relief supplement is being pulled from the market after being sold nationwide. Krakenimages.com – stock.adobe.com The supplement being recalled is ashwagandha pills, which are sold at Whole Foods and Amazon. The manufacturer, Vitality Works Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is recalling one lot (#2025-26227) of its Ashwagandha 365 Whole Foods Market standardized capsules + full spectrum blend. The bottles are 120 units and are sold in white plastic bottles. You can check the batch number and the expiration date of 10/13/2028, both printed on the bottom of the bottle. They were available for purchase from November 24, 2025 to October 20, 2026 nationwide. If you have it, don’t take it; Throw it away 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. To date, no illnesses have been reported. The possible contamination was identified through routine sampling of a single retail unit, the FDA said. They did not explicitly say that they found a positive Salmonella sample. Vitality Works is recalling one batch of the supplement. Whole Foods 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 various traditional practices, including Ayurvedic medicine. Some research shows that it can help reduce stress, anxiety, and help with sleep quality and total sleep time. Salmonella can contaminate plants like Ashwagandha before harvest or during processing, and can remain dormant for months or even years and cause infection when ingested. This is a big problem for food manufacturers, as salmonella has been shown to survive drying in spices and herbs such as ginger. After a person consumes something contaminated with salmonella, it multiplies in the small intestine, triggering an immune response that can cause cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. With a lot of vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration can become severe. The infection can also tear or cause bleeding in the digestive tract. If the bacteria enters the bloodstream, it can be life-threatening: infecting the brain, spinal cord, heart, bones, and urinary tract. Treatment will often address the dangers of dehydration with intravenous fluids, antidiarrheal medications such as Imodium, and antibiotics, although most recover without them. Salmonella infects about 1.35 million people each year in the United States and is a leading cause of foodborne illness. This ashwagandha recall is just one of several that occurred this year related to salmonella. In August, jalapenos and fresh produce from Sinaloa prompted a recall of salsas, pico de gallo and other products from Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and HEB. In July, more than 1.5 million one-dozen packages of eggs were recalled. Earlier this year, a super green supplement was recalled for possible salmonella contamination.
