A leaf powder used in multiple “superfood” products is, instead, causing illnesses in people across the country, FDA officials said.
MARYLAND, USA — At least 97 people have now been infected with salmonella as part of a nationwide outbreak linked to two “superfood” supplements, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA has identified people sickened in the outbreak in 32 states, up from the 65 people in 28 states the agency reported in its previous update on Jan. 29. There have been 26 hospitalizations linked to the outbreak, and no deaths have been reported.
The outbreak has been linked to supplements sold by Live It Up and Why Not Natural brands, according to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Investigators traced the outbreak to moringa leaf powder used in both Live It Up-brand Super Greens and Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa Green Superfood capsules.
Officials urged anyone who had purchased the super greens, with expiration dates from August 2026 to January 2028, or the superfood capsules with the expiration date of July 2028, to not consume them and throw them out. The FDA said the product’s long shelf life would likely increase illnesses.
“As part of this investigation, FDA and state partners collected product and ingredient samples for analysis,” the FDA said. “Sample analysis detected the outbreak strains of Salmonella Typhimurium or Newport in six samples.”
Health investigators in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota also detected the outbreak’s salmonella strain in Live it Up-brand Super Greens product samples.
“Consumers and retailers who purchased or received recalled dietary supplements should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the products touched,” the agency said. “Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra care in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.”
