The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of salmonella infections linked to products containing moringa leaf powder.
As of Jan. 29, CDC reported a total of 65 people across 28 states have been infected with one of the two outbreak strains of salmonella. Of the 40 people interviewed, 35 reported consuming a product containing moringa leaf powder. There have been 14 hospitalizations and no reported deaths.
According to FDA, the investigation revealed a common manufacturer between the products, Live it Up Super Greens and Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood, both of which use moringa leaf powder. Epidemiological evidence showed moringa leaf powder is the source of the salmonella outbreak. FDA reported 31 people consumed Live it Up, three consumed Why Not Natural and one consumed both products.
On Jan. 20, Superfoods Inc. of New York, NY, expanded its recall of Live it Up brand Super Greens to include nationwide distribution including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and international distribution in the United Kingdom. On Jan. 26, Superfoods was updated to make changes to the net weight of certain recalled products.
“Live it Up takes food safety extremely seriously. We apologize for the inconvenience and concern this recall may cause our customers. Our company is committed to ensuring the quality of our products and the well-being of our consumers,” Superfoods Inc. said in a statement.
On Jan. 24, Art Monkey LLC of Houston, TX suspended the sale of Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood and initiated a recall of Lot Number A25G051 on Jan. 28.
“The potential for contamination was noted by FDA as part of ongoing outbreak investigation of salmonella in other products containing moringa powder. Distribution and production of the product has been suspended while FDA and Why Not Natural continue their investigation and Why Not Natural has further notified its customers of the recall,” Art Monkey said in a statement.
For more information on the outbreak and recalls, visit www.fda.gov.
