Vanguard Enterprises, LLC Recalls Monarch Premium Kratom Powder Over Salmonella Risk
On October 28, 2025, Vanguard Enterprises, LLC, operating as Bedrock MFG in Boise, Idaho, announced a voluntary recall of its Monarch Premium kratom powders, specifically the Bali Gold, Red Bali, Green Maeng Da, and White Elephant varieties, because of potential contamination with Salmonella infection. According to the recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.”
The recall covers multiple lot codes and packaging sizes (14-gram, 56-gram, 112-gram, 224-gram) distributed nationwide via retail stores and mail orders through Bedrock’s website. No illnesses have been reported so far. The recall stems from a retail sample analysed by the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) that revealed the finished product contained Salmonella.
Kratom: A Niche Botanical With Broad Distribution and Regulatory Challenges
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia; its leaves contain alkaloids such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine that produce stimulant effects at low doses and sedative effects at higher doses. While used traditionally in Southeast Asia, kratom in the U.S. is sold as powders, capsules, teas or extracts for wellness or self-medication purposes.
Kratom’s legal and regulatory status in the U.S. is complex. It is not approved by the FDA for any medical use; many states have restrictions or bans. But many companies treat kratom powders as dietary supplements or wellness products, distributing them widely through online platforms and retail stores. That wide distribution, combined with limited oversight of botanical sourcing and microbiological testing, means that kratom products, like many botanical powders, can present food-safety concerns.
In this recall, a retail sample found Salmonella in finished kratom powder, indicating contamination at or after manufacturing. Without strong oversight, botanical powders may carry pathogens if raw materials, equipment or packaging are tainted.
Why Salmonella Contamination of Kratom Matters
Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne bacterial illness and typically causes fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare cases, infection can become systemic and cause endocarditis, infected aneurysms, or arthritis in vulnerable people.
For any consumer product ingested raw, the presence of Salmonella triggers heightened concern. While most healthy adults recover without anti-microbial treatment, young children, the elderly, pregnant people, and immunocompromised individuals are at greater risk of severe outcomes or hospitalization.
Kratom powders may be handled in ways that increase contamination risk: bulk shipments, repackaging, manual handling, moisture during storage, and lack of validated kill steps (many botanical powders are not heat-treated). If Salmonella enters the supply chain at the raw material or processing stage, it can persist and travel widely, especially with mail-order distribution.
What Exactly Is Covered By the Recall
The recall notice lists the affected product lines and lot codes:
- Monarch Premium Kratom – Bali Gold (UPC 851006008428 & 706970483712), Lot 020123PA3F-T
- Monarch Premium Kratom – Green Maeng Da (UPC 851006008466, 851006008770, 851006008459), Lot 020123PA3F-G
- Monarch Premium Kratom – Red Bali (UPC 851006008442, 706970483859, 851006008435), Lot 020123PA3F-R
- Monarch Premium Kratom – White Elephant (UPC 851006008480, 851006008756, 706970483644), Lot 020123PA3F-W
The product was distributed nationwide via retail stores and mail-orders from Bedrock’s website between April 2023 and September 2023. The recall notice clarifies the products were not sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
The broad timeframe and national reach mean consumers may still have older stock at home; companies and regulators treat such recalls as urgent even if older lots remain in discovery.
How Contamination Likely Occurred
While the recall notice does not specify the exact contamination source, industry-standard root-cause analysis typically explores these pathways:
- Raw material contamination: Botanicals can carry Salmonella from soil, water, harvest equipment or animal intrusion. If raw kratom leaf or powder is not tested or treated, contamination can move into finished product.
- Processing environment: Botanical powder production involves drying, milling, blending and packaging. Equipment, floors, drains or bins can harbour Salmonella biofilms. One contaminated surface can seed many batches.
- Cross-contamination and packaging: If packaging lines are shared, or if powdered product is manually handled in warehouses with inadequate hygiene, contamination can occur post-production.
- Mail-order distribution and storage: Even after leaving the factory, powder may be stored under suboptimal conditions (humidity, heat) that allow pathogen survival.
- Lack of kill-step validation: Many botanical powders are not heat-treated for pathogen elimination because of “raw” marketing positioning. That means control relies entirely on post-processing environment and packaging integrity.
Given the broad distribution and range of lot codes, a fundamental breakdown in one of these areas is likely. The recall underscores that even “natural” powders are not low-risk simply because they are plant-based.
Consumer Risk and What You Should Do Now
Consumers who purchased any of the recalled Monarch Premium kratom powders should immediately stop using the product. Do not assume that older stock is safe; the contaminant may persist across lots. Return the product for a refund or contact Bedrock’s support as specified. According to the notice, consumers with questions may contact the company at 888-347-5088 or email [email protected].
If you have consumed the product and develop symptoms consistent with Salmonella infection, especially fever, diarrhea (bloody or otherwise), nausea or abdominal pain, seek medical attention promptly. In vulnerable persons (young children, elderly, immunocompromised), the progression can be more severe, including bloodstream infections or organ involvement. It is also wise to conserve purchase records and product packaging lot codes, as they may assist healthcare providers and public-health investigators.
Because the timeframe of distribution spans 2023, even persons who used the powder some months ago should remain vigilant: Salmonella incubation is short (6-72 hours) but past exposure may still matter if underlying immune compromise exists.
Retailer and Distributor Obligations
Retailers and online platforms that sold the affected Monarch Premium kratom powders must remove all inventory matching the listed UPCs and lot codes from shelves, back-storage, and online offerings. They must notify customers who purchased the items (via receipts, loyalty accounts or mail-order databases) and provide instructions for return or disposal. Because kratom is sometimes sold alongside other powders or under private-label configurations, retailers must audit their sourcing records for any cross-listed or repackaged lots.
Distribution partners and warehouses should undertake internal checks: identify shipments received from Bedrock between April–September 2023, inspect receipts and lot codes, and quarantine any remaining stock. Staff should be trained to recognise the recall identifiers and coordinate with Bedrock and FDA reporting if they locate suspect product. Documentation of removal and disposal is critical in case regulators seek audits or compliance proof.
Public-Health and Regulatory Strategy
For regulators (FDA, state agriculture and consumer-protection departments), this recall triggers multiple actions:
- Confirmatory testing of retained samples from the implicated lots or related lots to determine if Salmonella is present across other batches.
- Traceback of raw material sources (kratom leaves) to identify farm or import origins, and evaluation of supply-chain practices.
- Review of Bedrock’s processing environment, including microbial environmental sampling, sanitation logs, equipment maintenance, and validation of absence of cross-contamination.
- Monitoring of clinical reports of Salmonella infections via public-health surveillance to detect any clusters that might be linked to this recall.
- Posting of public-notice alerts with photos and guiding consumers to check lot codes, as has been done with other high-profile recalls. The FDA’s website notes that this recall is “being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
Kratom poses regulatory challenges: since the FDA has not approved it for medical use, oversight falls under dietary-supplement regulations or distributed-commodity rules, often with less consistent inspection than mainstream food products. This makes recall coordination and consumer notification even more critical once contamination is detected.
Industry Implications and Lessons for Botanical Powders
The recall serves as a reminder that any consumable product ingested raw, including botanical powders sold as wellness supplements, is subject to food-safety hazards and regulatory standards. Industry partners should review the following:
- Validated pathogen-kill or microbial-reduction steps for raw materials and finished powders.
- Environmental monitoring programmes that regularly sample equipment, dust, storage bins and packaging lines for Salmonella or other pathogens.
- Supply-chain transparency for botanical sourcing (country of origin, harvest conditions, microbial testing).
- Labeling and lot-tracking programmes that enable rapid consumer communication and product removal.
- Liability risk management, especially with products marketed for consumption rather than external use only. A recall linked to foodborne illness can affect reputation, insurance costs and regulatory scrutiny.
Why Kratom Recalls for Microbiological Hazards Are Significant
Historically, kratom recalls have been more associated with chemical adulteration, heavy metals or mislabeled contents rather than classic foodborne pathogens. The detection of Salmonella in kratom, especially finished product after retail sampling, indicates that kratom powders may join mainstream food-safety concerns broadly applying to herbal and dietary supplements. Because kratom is often consumed in bulk packages and sometimes stored for long periods, the window for distribution and exposure is large. Also, mail-order distribution means minimal oversight of storage conditions during transit, increasing risk of contamination growth or survival.
For public-health systems, this recall could serve as a sentinel event prompting closer oversight of botanical powders as potential foodborne vectors, not simply as chemical-safety issues.
What Could Happen Next
- If further testing reveals Salmonella in other lots, the recall could expand to additional cross-brands or private-label huskings. Retailers should monitor for updates on the FDA recall portal.
- Clinical case reports in public-health surveillance may trigger outbreak investigations if multiple Salmonella infections are linked to kratom consumption.
- Regulators may issue warning letters or import alerts targeting kratom-powder manufacturers, especially those lacking validated food-safety systems.
- Insurance carriers and botanical-supplement associations may tighten safety-audit requirements for kratom processing companies.
- Public-education efforts may increase to inform consumers that plant-based powders are not inherently low-risk and require safe handling and sourcing.
Analysis & Next Steps
What’s New: A nationwide recall by Vanguard Enterprises/Bedrock MFG of Monarch Premium kratom powders due to potential Salmonella contamination (Bali Gold, Red Bali, Green Maeng Da, White Elephant) with specific lot codes and UPCs listed. No illnesses reported but contamination confirmed by retail sample analysis by Florida FDACS.
Why It Matters: This event underscores that wellness and botanical powders, often consumed raw, can pose classic foodborne-pathogen hazards. Salmonella contamination in such products represents broad exposure risk due to national distribution and high-volume packaging. Because vulnerable populations face severe outcomes, rapid removal is critical.
Who’s Affected: Consumers who purchased the specified kratom products (lot codes listed) between April 2023 and September 2023; retailers and e-commerce platforms that sold them; public-health agencies monitoring potential illnesses; manufacturers of botanical powders who must re-evaluate safety systems.
What To Do Now:
- Consumers: Check your kratom product’s UPC and lot code; if matching, stop using the product, follow return/refund instructions, and monitor for symptoms of Salmonella infection (especially if you are in a high-risk group).
- Retailers: Remove all affected lots from sale, notify purchasers when possible, document disposal/return and coordinate with Bedrock and regulators for refunds.
- Manufacturers/processors: Review raw material sourcing, validate pathogen-kill steps, strengthen environmental monitoring and packaging controls for kratom and similar powders.
- Regulators: Monitor for illnesses linked to the recall, evaluate compliance of kratom processors, and update guidance for botanical-powder testing and safety.
- All stakeholders: Use the event as an impetus to treat botanical powders like food products in terms of handling and safety, not assume “natural” means safe.
Final Note
The recall of Monarch Premium kratom powders by Vanguard/Bedrock is a wake-up call that foodborne-pathogen risk is not confined to conventional foods like meats, dairy or produce. Botanical powders distributed as wellness products can harbour pathogens if processing or storage is not rigorously controlled. Although no illnesses have yet been reported, the recall is appropriately precautionary. Consumers, retailers, manufacturers and regulators all have roles in ensuring safety, from checking lot codes at home to auditing botanical-processing facilities. With prompt action, this incident may remain a “what-if” rather than a “what happened.” It also should prompt lasting change in how botanical powders are treated within food-safety systems.
