About
What it is and where it shows up.
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing tree native to South Asia and Africa whose leaves, pods, seeds, and roots are consumed as food and in dietary supplements. The dried leaf powder is especially prized as a nutrient-dense botanical ingredient rich in vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, potassium, iron, and protein.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
At food use levels the leaf and pod are generally considered safe with a long history of traditional consumption, but EFSA has been unable to confirm the safety of concentrated leaf powder preparations due to gaps in exposure data and the presence of potentially undesirable substances. High-dose or root-based products are contraindicated in pregnancy due to reported abortifacient properties. A 2026 multistate Salmonella Typhimurium/Newport outbreak in the US was linked to moringa leaf powder supplements, highlighting microbial contamination risks in processed forms.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Restricted | Moringa is not listed as GRAS and is not approved as a food additive. It is sold solely as a dietary supplement regulated under DSHEA. In January 2026, FDA and CDC investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Newport (97 people, 32 states) linked to moringa leaf powder dietary supplements; multiple products were recalled. FDA detected Salmonella Newport in two moringa leaf powder ingredient samples.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Moringa oleifera leaf and leaf extract are recognised as traditional food and permitted as nutraceutical ingredients in India. FSSAI has approved product applications containing Moringa oleifera leaf extract under the FSS (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017. Under FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Novel Food) Regulations 2016, prior approval from FSSAI is required to make specific health claims for moringa-based products.source |
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Under_review | EFSA issued a technical report (EN-1672, September 2019) on Moringa stenopetala leaf powder notified as a traditional food from a third country under Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA concluded it could not rule out safety concerns owing to lack of information on undesirable substances and absence of an exposure assessment. No centralised authorisation exists for moringa in the EU; botanicals are regulated at the national level under general food law (Regulation EC No 178/2002).source |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Pregnancy — The root, root bark, and high-dose extracts of Moringa oleifera contain alkaloids (including spirochin and moringin) that have demonstrated uterotonic and abortifacient activity in animal studies; pregnant women are advised to avoid concentrated supplements or root-derived products.
Infants — High-dose moringa leaf powder supplements have not been studied in infants, and microbial contamination risk (as demonstrated by the 2026 Salmonella outbreak) poses a particularly serious threat to this vulnerable population.
Children — Concentrated moringa supplement powders have not been safety-assessed for children; FDA notes children under five are especially susceptible to severe Salmonella infections from contaminated moringa products.
Diabetes — Moringa leaf extracts exhibit hypoglycaemic effects and may potentiate the action of antidiabetic medications, potentially causing additive blood-glucose lowering; dose adjustment or monitoring may be required.
Hypertension — Bioactive compounds in moringa (isothiocyanates, niazimicin) have demonstrated antihypertensive activity that could interact additively with antihypertensive drugs; medical supervision is recommended.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1FDA. Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Moringa Leaf Powder (January 2026), 2026. fda.gov
- 2FSSAI. List of product(s)/ingredient(s) applications Approved under Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017, 2025. fssai.gov.in
- 3FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Foods for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Foods and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016 – Compendium, 2021. fssai.gov.in
- 4EFSA. Technical Report on the notification of leaf powder of Moringa stenopetala as a traditional food from a third country pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, 2019. efsa.europa.eu
- 5PubMed. Development and Standardization of Moringa oleifera Leaves as a Natural Dietary Supplement, 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Independently researched5 citations