ALBUQUERQUE, NM — A supplement sold under the Whole Foods Market label has been recalled nationwide after federal regulators identified a possible salmonella risk. The Food and Drug Administration says the product was pulled after routine sampling turned up concern about contamination.
The recall covers one lot of 365 Whole Foods Market Standardized + Full Spectrum Blend Ashwagandha Capsules made by Vitality Works Inc. of Albuquerque. The capsules were sold at Whole Foods stores across the country and through Amazon, and the FDA says people should not use them.
Which capsules are affected and how they were sold
The recall applies to lot number 2025-26227 of the ashwagandha capsules. According to the FDA, the pills came in white bottles containing 120 capsules each and were marked with an expiration date of Nov. 13, 2028.
Consumers who bought the product from Nov. 24, 2025, through Oct. 20, 2026, may have one of the affected bottles. The FDA said the supplement was distributed at Whole Foods locations nationwide and also sold on Amazon, making the recall relevant to shoppers in many states.
Ashwagandha is sold as a dietary supplement, and this recall centers on the contamination concern tied to that single lot rather than a broader companywide issue. The FDA alert names Vitality Works as the Albuquerque-based manufacturer behind the recalled product.
Why salmonella contamination matters for supplement buyers
Salmonella can cause illness if contaminated products are swallowed, which is why regulators treat possible exposure seriously even before any cases are reported. In this case, the FDA said the concern came from routine sampling rather than from consumer complaints or illness reports.
The agency said no illnesses have been reported so far. Even so, it advised people who have the capsules not to take them and to keep them out of use until they can be returned or discarded according to the recall instructions.
Food and supplement recalls often begin when testing finds a possible problem before it reaches a wider number of customers. That is the situation here, with the federal agency acting after sample testing raised the contamination issue.
What customers should do with the recalled bottles
Anyone who has the recalled supplement should stop using it immediately, the FDA said. The bottles can be returned to any Whole Foods store, where refunds are available.
Because the recall also involves Amazon sales, online buyers should check their orders and verify the lot number and expiration date on the bottle if they still have it. The FDA’s notice points consumers to the product label as the way to confirm whether a bottle is part of the affected batch.
People who are unsure about the supplement’s status should compare the lot number on the container with the recalled lot, 2025-26227. If the number does not match, the product is not included in this recall notice.
Vitality Works recalls one Albuquerque-made lot nationwide
Vitality Works Inc., based in Albuquerque, initiated the recall of the single lot tied to the FDA warning. The company’s action affects a supplement sold under the 365 Whole Foods Market brand, which appears in stores and on Amazon rather than only in one local market.
That broad distribution means the impact reaches far beyond New Mexico. Shoppers across the United States who bought the capsules during the listed sales window may need to check their cabinets, especially if they rely on supplements purchased through major retail channels.
The recall notice does not say the contamination was widespread, only that a potential salmonella issue was identified in the tested lot. For now, the affected product remains limited to that specific batch and packaging description.
How the FDA identifies problems before people get sick
In this case, the recall was triggered by routine FDA sampling, a method used to catch possible safety problems before they lead to injuries or illnesses. The agency frequently uses that kind of testing to spot contamination risks in food and supplement products.
That early detection can help limit exposure when a product has already reached stores or online marketplaces. Here, the FDA said the testing result led to the recall even though no illnesses had been reported at the time of the alert.
For shoppers, the key takeaway is straightforward: check the lot number, avoid taking the capsules, and use the refund option at Whole Foods if the product matches the recall. The agency says the affected supplement should not be consumed under any circumstances.
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