A single lot of a popular Whole Foods ashwagandha supplement just got pulled off shelves over possible salmonella contamination — and the company caught it before anyone reported getting sick. If you take this one for stress or sleep, the bottom of your bottle has the two numbers that tell you whether you’re affected.
What’s being recalled
Vitality Works Inc. is recalling 365 Whole Foods Market Standardized + Full Spectrum Blend Ashwagandha Capsules, 120 count, over potential salmonella contamination. The recall covers a single lot: number 2025-26227, with an expiration date of October 13, 2028. Both numbers are printed on the bottom of the bottle, so you don’t need to recall them from memory.
The capsules were sold on Amazon.com and in Whole Foods Market stores across 30 states plus Washington, D.C. The sale window ran from November 24, 2025, through October 20, 2026. That’s a wide footprint, which is part of why this recall is worth your attention even if you’re not sure exactly when you bought your bottle.
Zero illnesses reported so far
No illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall. That’s genuinely good news. It means the recall is working the way it’s supposed to — catching a potential problem before it becomes a real one, rather than responding after the fact.
Salmonella doesn’t always announce itself quickly, though. Symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to show up after exposure. That’s why “no illnesses yet” isn’t the same thing as “nothing happened.” It’s simply where things stand today.
Why a supplement recall like this one happens
Ashwagandha is an herbal root. Like most botanical ingredients, it’s grown and processed outside the kind of sealed, sterile environment you’d expect for something like infant formula. Contamination risk in supplements usually traces back to the raw ingredient itself, or to a processing step somewhere between the farm and the capsule.
That’s a different risk profile than a packaged snack food, where contamination more often points to a specific facility issue on a specific day. With a botanical supplement, the source can be harder to pin down. That’s part of why companies like Vitality Works test finished lots before they ship — and why one lot can fail that test while others from the same product line pass.
Checking if your bottle is the one affected
Look at the bottom of your bottle for the lot number and expiration date. If it reads 2025-26227 and October 13, 2028, that’s the recalled lot. If your bottle shows a different lot number or a different expiration date, it isn’t part of this recall, even if it’s the same product name and the same 120-count size.
This is worth doing even if you bought the bottle months ago and have taken it without any issue. The recall is based on a contamination test result, not on anyone’s personal experience with the product.
What to do if your bottle matches
Don’t consume the capsules. Discard them, and get a refund at any Whole Foods Market store. You don’t need to return to the specific location where you bought it, and you don’t need a receipt to get the refund processed.
If you’ve already taken capsules from this lot and you develop diarrhea, fever, or stomach cramps in the days ahead, mention it to a doctor, especially if symptoms are severe or don’t improve. Most healthy adults recover from salmonella without lasting harm. Young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system face a higher risk of complications.
A different recall from the one you may remember
If the word “ashwagandha recall” sounds familiar, you may be thinking of a separate one: Wild Coast Brew Tea’s ashwagandha product, recalled back in September. That was a different manufacturer, a different product form, and a different hazard. It’s worth knowing so you don’t assume this is the same story resurfacing, or mistakenly assume your Wild Coast product is covered here.
Two unrelated ashwagandha recalls within about six weeks of each other is a coincidence of timing, not evidence that the ingredient itself is uniquely risky. Herbal supplements get recalled for contamination at roughly the same rate as other product categories. They just don’t always make headlines when they do.
The bottom line
One specific lot of a Whole Foods ashwagandha supplement has a possible salmonella problem, caught before anyone got sick. Check the bottom of your bottle for lot 2025-26227 and an October 13, 2028 expiration date. If it matches, get your refund and skip the capsules until then.