\u201cCDC and FDA have reopened the investigation into a salmonella outbreak linked to moringa leaf powder because additional illnesses were identified,\u201d a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) spokesperson confirmed.<\/p>\n
The most recent recalled products include MOGO-brand moringa capsules<\/a> and TNVitamins Ultra Potent Complete Green Superfood products<\/a>, which FDA has warned may be contaminated with salmonella and should not be consumed or sold while the investigation remains ongoing. The agency is working to trace the source of contamination and with state partners to collect samples. <\/p>\n Prior to the March 17 closing of the previous investigation, FDA reported 97 illnesses, 26 hospitalizations and no deaths across 32 states linked to the outbreak. Updated figures tied to the reopened investigation now show 119 illnesses and 32 hospitalizations across 36 states.<\/p>\n Both Mogo Moringa LLC<\/a> and Total Nutrition Inc.<\/a> have initiated voluntary recalls of the potentially contaminated products. <\/p>\n Additional recalls point to ongoing supply-chain issues<\/p>\n For both regulators and industry groups, the outbreak raises broader questions about microbial controls on imported botanical ingredients, particularly for products that may bypass validated pathogen-reduction steps during processing.<\/p>\n Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA), told NutraIngredients that the recalls appear to be tied to issues such as inadequate drying or the absence of validated kill steps during moringa production.<\/p>\n \u201cThat really seems to be what\u2019s consistent in some of the language reflected in FDA documents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The renewed investigation may also signal increased FDA scrutiny of imported botanical materials linked to the repeated contamination events.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally, what happens is they\u2019re going to go on what\u2019s called the red list,\u201d Dr. Fabricant said, referring to FDA import monitoring procedures. \u201cNow that they\u2019re seeing this problem recur, they\u2019re certainly going to [scrutinize] anything that\u2019s labeled moringa.\u201d<\/p>\n He suggested that the repeated recalls should prompt companies to reassess pathogen controls and validated kill steps throughout botanical sourcing and manufacturing operations.<\/p>\n At the same time, Dr. Fabricant noted that existing dietary supplement good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements appear to be preventing additional contaminated products from reaching consumers.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if they missed the screen on the ingredient side, that clearly is getting caught on the finished product manufacturing side, which is a very good sign,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A call for kill steps<\/p>\n To prevent tainted batches of moringa and similar agricultural commodities from entering the market, the FDA\u2019s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP) has issued a call for information related to microbial monitoring and mitigation practices.<\/p>\n