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On June 21, the U.S Food and Drug Administration issued yet another recall on a particular kratom (mitragyna speciosa) product across the country due to salmonella contamination.
Gaia Ethnobotanical, LLC. has issued a recall on all of its kratom powder products distributed online at the consumer level because testing revealed salmonella outbreak. Kratom is typically sold in powder or capsule form and labeled “not for human consumption.”
Despite adherence to the FDA’s sterilization guidelines, the products affected come in powder form with Lot No.: 0102031800 (Batch No.: 031800), that were manufactured, processed, packed and/or held between March 18, 2018 and March 20, 2018. Gaia has notified consumers by email and telephone, asking them to immediately discard the recalled products.
This is not the first recall involving kratom products in the United States. There have been a handful of outbreaks since it was introduced to the market. Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, according to the FDA Safety Alert. In rare instances, salmonella contamination requires hospitalization.
Kratom is a botanical Southeast Asian herb that people use to achieve effects similar to those of opiates. It works by triggering the same receptors that opiates do, similar to morphine. Though it is not considered illegal, it can cause dependence due to the sedative effects the user achieves, thus resulting in an addiction.
So far, there have been 44 deaths reported across the country in relation to Kratom. As the country has been plagued with an opioid epidemic, many are turning to “natural” remedies to deal with the addiction and effects from withdrawals.
Just recently in Grand Rapids, Mich., 26-year-old Eric Genautis died of “acute Kratom toxicity,” according to the Kent County medical examiner. His mother, Carol Genautis, indicated her son became hooked on opiates after being involved in a car accident.
“I want to make people more aware of what Kratom is, and that it’s dangerous,” she said. “Eric thought it was a safe drug because it’s legal.” After struggling with anxiety, addiction and depression, he turned to Kratom as an alternative because of its legal status.
Unregulated drugs seem like an easy alternative, especially with an availability online from manufacturers like Gaia Ethnobotanicals. However, dangers such as salmonella are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to affecting consumers’ safety.
The list of recalled products below, all came in 1oz, 250g, 1kg plastic bags.
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Bali Gold
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Elephant
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Ganesh MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Green Dragon
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Green Horn
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Green Kapuas Hulu
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Green Malay
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Green MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Green Thai
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Plantation Green MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Plantation Red MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Plantation White MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Purple 8-1
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red Bali
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red Borneo
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red Dragon
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red Horn
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red Kapuas Hulu
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Red Thai
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Super Green Malay
- Gaia Ethnobotanical White Borneo
- Gaia Ethnobotanical White Horn
- Gaia Ethnobotanical White MD
- Gaia Ethnobotanical White Thai
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Yellow Thai
- Gaia Ethnobotanical Yellow Vietnam
For questions, consumers can contact Gaia Ethnobotanical at:
fdarecall@gaiaethnobotanical.com or call 24/7 at 702-996-8523
