White plastic bottle with blue cap containing 90 capsules; Ashwagandha Extract; 450 mg; CODE 4603; Manufactured by NOW FOODS; 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA

Recall Insight

This FDA Food action (record #F-1726-2013) was formally reported on July 31, 2013, with the manufacturer initiating the action on July 3, 2013. It is classified under Moderate severity (Class II), with a current status of Terminated. NOW Foods is listed as the recalling firm, operating out of Bloomingdale, IL. Federal records indicate 2,571 bottles units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: It has been determined that this product contains an undeclared ingredient, licorice extract, which contains glycyrrhizin derived from licorice root. Distribution data in the federal record shows the product reached: US: Nationwide; Foreign: United Kingdom. Distribution scope directly affects the consumer exposure window and determines whether a recall remains regional or escalates into a nationwide advisory.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by FDA Food. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 13 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.