Recent outbreaks of Salmonella associated with recalled dietary supplements containing moringa have escalated scrutiny regarding pathogen management and the oversight of sourcing botanical ingredients in the industry. These incidents highlight critical gaps in food safety protocols, further emphasizing the need for stringent controls throughout the supply chain.
Although investigations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have concluded, the recalls serve as a stark reminder of how contamination can propagate through intricate supply chains across various brands and channels before detection.
These outbreaks have intensified concerns surrounding supplier qualification, testing of raw materials, and traceability of imported botanical ingredients.
As noted by Asa Waldstein, founder and principal at Apex Compliance, the frequency of pathogen-related recalls continues to rise across both food and supplement categories in 2026.
“To date, we’ve observed over 20 FDA recalls this year alone, with nearly a dozen involving pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria,” Waldstein shared with NutraIngredients.
Moringa Outbreaks Prompt Recalls Across Multiple Brands
The more significant of the two outbreaks was traced back to moringa leaf powder in dietary supplements sold under the Live it Up and Why Not Natural brands.
Investigators from the FDA and CDC eventually linked this outbreak to 97 reported illnesses across 31 states, involving strains of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport. Notably, 26 individuals were hospitalized, but there were no fatalities.
According to the FDA, epidemiological interviews revealed a strong correlation between these illnesses and the consumption of moringa-containing products, as 35 out of 40 interviewed patients reported having taken moringa prior to falling ill.
Subsequent traceback efforts identified a common manufacturer of the moringa powder used in both brands, as reported by federal investigators.
In response to these findings, Why Not Natural recalled lot A25G051 of its Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules set to expire in July 2028.
Superfoods Inc., the company behind the Live it Up brand, similarly recalled its Super Greens dietary supplement powders, which were due to expire between August 2026 and January 2028.
The recall from Live it Up eventually extended to affected products distributed nationwide, including territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some products were also shipped to consumers in the United Kingdom.
In a separate FDA investigation that was announced in February, concerns arose regarding Rosabella-brand moringa powder capsules distributed by Ambrosia Brands LLC.
This outbreak was linked to 10 reported illnesses across seven states, all associated with an extensively drug-resistant strain of Salmonella Newport. Three individuals were hospitalized, but there were no fatalities reported.
The FDA noted that this strain showed resistance to both first-line and alternative antibiotics commonly used for treating Salmonella infections.
Ambrosia Brands enacted a voluntary recall of affected lots on February 13, 2026. The products were sold through platforms such as Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, Shein, and Etsy, with distribution both nationwide and internationally.
FDA Traceback Efforts Reveal Broader Sourcing Issues
While federal investigators did not formally connect the two outbreaks, both events attracted significant attention within the supplement sector due to their association with moringa-derived ingredients traversing complex botanical supply chains.
Waldstein noted that Salmonella contamination in plant-based ingredients usually arises earlier in the production chain.
“Raw ingredients are often the main source of contamination, but it can also occur during manufacturing due to inadequate hygiene and sanitation practices,” Waldstein explained.
In either case, these issues should ideally be detected during quality control testing before products reach consumers.
“These incidents illustrate how deficiencies in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and testing protocols can disrupt the entire industry,” he added.
The outbreaks also shed light on the difficulties associated with globally sourced botanical ingredients, as raw materials may pass through multiple intermediaries before reaching manufacturers of finished products.
Pathogen Risks Emerge at Various Stages
Rian Bosman, co-founder of the South African moringa brand Burst, emphasized that contamination risks can arise at every stage, from harvesting through processing and packaging.
“These events reveal some systemic weaknesses that many botanical supply chains, not just those involving moringa, face. At the farm, contamination can come from animal droppings or poor sanitation practices during harvesting and drying,” he stated.
Bosman further noted that if sanitation controls aren’t consistently enforced, the risk of contamination persists during manual sorting, processing, and packaging.
He highlighted that testing standards can differ significantly among suppliers and sourcing models, representing a substantial risk for manufacturers using botanical ingredients.
“Testing should ideally occur during the harvest season, right after harvesting, during production, and once more at the finished product stage through batch testing,” Bosman advised.
Commodity Sourcing Complicates Traceability
According to Bosman, moringa supply chains increasingly follow either extensive commodity sourcing networks or direct relationships with farms, each presenting varying levels of visibility and oversight.
In commodity supply chains, moringa powder is often blended from multiple farms before being exported in bulk shipments.
While this system offers supply flexibility and cost benefits, it complicates efforts to trace the source of potential contamination, as manufacturers lack visibility into farming conditions, sanitation practices, and testing protocols across the production chain.
Conversely, direct sourcing models with single-origin supply chains tend to provide greater operational control. “Brands that work closely with a farm or a select few farms usually possess better oversight of agricultural techniques, drying methods, and sanitation and testing procedures,” Bosman explained.
Supplier Verification is a Key Control Point
For manufacturers assessing botanical suppliers, transparency regarding sourcing and testing remains a crucial defense against contamination risks, Bosman affirmed.
“Brands need to have a clear understanding of where the moringa is cultivated, ensure sanitary practices at the farm level, review agricultural handling protocols, and verify that suppliers adhere to Good Agricultural Practices,” he noted.
He added that suppliers should be ready to provide documentation demonstrating their pathogen, heavy metal, and pesticide testing programs.
In a recent comment, Superfoods Inc. d/b/a Live it Up affirmed that “the health and safety of our customers is our top priority” and acknowledged that production of Super Greens has been paused while the company re-evaluates its supply chain and manufacturing protocols.
NutraIngredients reached out to the FDA, Why Not Natural, and Ambrosia Brands LLC for further details, but no additional comments were received by the time of publication.
