Kratom Suspected In 35-State Salmonella Outbreak: Health And Wellness Industry News

An outbreak of salmonella infections that FDA suspects is linked to products containing kratom has spread to 35 states and 40 of 55 infected people who were asked about the botanical reported consuming it before getting sick. According to FDA's March 15 update to its ongoing monitoring of the salmonella outbreak potentially linked to kratom, the investigation by the agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local officials includes four outbreak strains. Salmonella Javiana, Okatie and Thompson were identified after the outbreak was detected and linked to a single strain, salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:-, FDA says.

The agency also reported that Portland, Ore., firm PDX Aromatics LLC on March 9 recalled kratom-containing powder products it marketed under the brands Kraken Kratom, Phytoextractum and Soul Speciosa after testing by California's Department of Public Health identified salmonella in an open sample its products. Separate testing by FDA confirmed salmonella in products purchased from PDX. Through March 14, CDC reported 87 people infected with one of the four outbreak strains of salmonella and 27 have been hospitalized. FDA investigates this salmonella outbreak as it advises firms marketing kratum products that it consider the botanical a new dietary ingredient that must be notified to the agency with substantiation that it is safe for its intended use in supplements. But the agency also says it is not aware of any evidence of safety establishing that kratom (or any compounds derived from kratom) will reasonably be expected to be safe as a dietary ingredient." Also see "FDA's Kratom Campaign Turns To Firms Destroying Inventory, Recalling Products" - HBW Insight, 21 February, 2018