This week the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a mandatory recall order for all food products containing powdered kratom manufactured, processed, packed, or held by Triangle Pharmanaturals, after several were found to contain salmonella.
Two samples of kratom products manufactured by Las Vegas, Nevada-based, Triangle Pharmanaturals tested positive for salmonella, as did four additional samples of various types of kratom product associated with the firm collected by the FDA.
The agency issued the mandatory recall after the company failed to cooperate with the FDA’s request to conduct a voluntary recall.
Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, is a plant that grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. "The FDA continues to warn consumers not to consume any kratom product," the agency said in a statement. "There is no FDA-approved use for kratom and the agency has received concerning reports about the safety of kratom, including deaths associated with its use."
FDA investigators were denied access to the company’s records relating to potentially affected products and Triangle employees refused attempts to discuss the agency’s findings.
All salmonella bacteria can cause the foodborne illness salmonellosis, although the strains found in Triangle Pharmanaturals’ products are not currently linked to the outbreak.
Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. However, in the current salmonellosis outbreak associated with kratom products, unusually high rates of individuals have been hospitalised for their illness.
The FDA also recommended NutriZone recall products that after routine sampling and testing by the FDA revealed the presence of Salmonella. The company voluntarily recalled four different dietary supplements, because of the potential salmonella contamination.
The regulatory body also advised that Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, a Lakewood, Colorado-based natural grocery chain, voluntarily recall Natural Grocers brand 10-ounce Coconut Smiles Organic after potential salmonella contamination.
The FDA is working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue to investigate the ongoing outbreak.
The FDA advises that if consumers have one or more of these products in their homes, they should discard them immediately.