Yellow Oleander
On Nov. 3, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed analytical testing of additional “supplement” products that tested positive for toxic yellow oleander.
The analysis determined that certain products labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root or Brazil seed were adulterated because they contained yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) instead of the labeled ingredients. Yellow oleander is a poisonous plant endemic to Mexico and Central America that is often cultivated as an ornamental.
In September 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report of several tejocote root products found to be substituted with yellow oleander. FDA began its investigation after the report to test additional tejocote products. The testing is ongoing.
Consumers are advised to stop using and dispose of these products, and to call emergency services and/or Poison Control if anyone has suffered serious side effects.
“Based on the FDA’s sampling and testing results thus far, the FDA is also concerned that other products marketed as tejocote root (including with other names such as Crataegus mexicana, Raiz de Tejocote, and Mexican hawthorn) may contain yellow oleander. Consuming yellow oleander can cause severe adverse health effects and be potentially fatal,” FDA said in a statement.
For more information, visit www.fda.gov.
