Alfalfa seeds implicated in outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella recalled

Seeds were supplied to wholesale consignees in 16 states and internationally

September 10, 2026

International Sprout Holdings Inc. has recalled 43,799 lbs of alfalfa seeds that may be contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella. The recall notice appeared in today’s FDA Enforcement Reports update.

The seeds are described as “Alfalfa, Net Weight 50 lbs. bag, Product of USA, International Specialty Supply 1011 Volunteer Dr. Cookeville, TN 38506.” The recall extends to a single lot, identified as “ISS Lot # SAL2-24JB.”

International Sprout initiated the recall on August 23rd, notifying its customers by email.

Alfalfa seeds covered by this recall were supplied to wholesale consignees in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Tahiti, and Venezuela. Neither the wholesale consignees nor the ultimate downstream recipients of the alfalfa seeds were named.

The backstory

On August 21, 2026, the CDC and FDA announced that they were investigating a 15-state outbreak of 55 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (multiple serotypes include: O26:H11, O103:H25, O168:H8) and Salmonella Agona infections associated with consumption of alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, LLC of Minneapolis, MN.

Forty-six people were infected with one of the E. coli outbreak strains, 7 people were infected with Salmonella, and 2 people were infected with both Salmonella and E. coli.

Four of the victims were hospitalized.

Everything Sprouts announced a recall of three varieties of sprout products the following day and expanded the recall to include a fourth variety one week later.

But according to an investigation update issued on August 31st, sprouts produced by Everthing Sprouts did not account for all of the outbreak illnesses. The FDA’s traceback investigation identified at least one additional sprout grower who received the same batch of alfalfa seeds that had been supplied to Everything Sprouts.

The FDA recommended that the seed supplier voluntarily recall the suspect batch of seeds and contact its downstream customers to initiate recalls of sprouts grown from the those seeds.

The FDA did not name either the seed supplier (who we now know was International Sprout Holdings, Inc) or the second sprout grower, and there have been no other publically announced recalls of alfalfa sprouts in connection with this outbreak.

What to do?

This investigation is ongoing, and there has been no update from either the CDC or the FDA since August 31st.

The FDA offers the following recommendations to consumers and businesses:

Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled sprouts.
Check your refrigerators and freezers for recalled sprouts and throw them away or return the product to the place of purchase. If you froze a product without the original packaging and can’t tell if it’s part of the affected sprouts, throw it away.
Consumers, restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers who purchased or received recalled sprouts, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that they touched. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Retailers that received recalled sprouts and repackaged them for individual sale should not sell them and should remove the products from the market.
Consult your health care provider immediately if you ate recalled sprouts and have any symptoms that resemble an STEC or Salmonella infection.

The FoodBugLady recommends:

DO NOT EAT RAW SPROUTS!

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Second Salmonella outbreak linked to sprouts

CDC, FDA silent on new multistate outbreak

September 4, 2026

Washington, Montana, and Idaho health officials are reporting a new outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections linked to broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC (Moyle Springs, Idaho).

The outbreak appears to be unrelated to the 15-state outbreak of Salmonella and E. coli illnesses linked to consumption of alfalfa sprouts.

Thirteen of the sixteen confirmed outbreak victims are residents of Washington state. Two of the Washington residents have been hospitalized. Outbreak cases have been reported in seven Washington counties.

Illness onset dates for the 13 Washington victims range from July 7 to August 18. Of the twelve people available for interview, eight reported eating sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC. Seven of the eight recalled eating broccoli sprouts.

Montana is reporting two outbreak victims, and one victim is from Idaho.

Outbreak victims in Washington purchased the sprouts from grocery stores, food co-ops and restaurants. Montana victims reported purchasing the sprouts in grocery stores.

Sprout samples from Evergreen and other suppliers are undergoing testing at the Washington and Montana public health laboratories.

Neither the CDC nor the FDA have released any information regarding this outbreak. It does not appear on the FDA’s weekly listing of active investigations.

As of today, there has been no recall by the firm. However, local sanitarians in Montana are contacting the stores known to have sold the sprouts to arrange for their removal from sale.

As Bill Marler noted in his report on the outbreak, this is the third time that sprouts from Evergreen have been implicated in an outbreak of Salmonella illnesses.

In 2011, alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts were responsible for an outbreak of 25 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis in five states. Three people were hospitalized. In 2014, raw clover sprouts were linked to a 19-case outbreak of E. coli O121 infections in six states. Seven people were hospitalized.

As part of their investigation into the 2014 outbreak, the FDA conducted an inspection of the company’s sprouting operations. They found multiple examples of insanitary conditions, including apparent mold growth, dripping condensate, irrigation water dripping from rusty valves, and corroded areas in contact with the growing sprouts. In one example, they noted employees using tennis rackets to scoop sprouts out of the water and onto a conveyor belt.

Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC has been inspected on multiple occasions by the FDA since 2010. The 2011 inspection that followed on the heels of the first outbreak resulted in the issuance of a formal FDA Warning Letter to the company. Most of the subsequent inspections, including the one performed in 2014, result in a classification of “Voluntary Action Indicated.”

The most recent FDA inspection was performed in 2024 and was classified “Voluntary Action Indicated.” However, no summary of the inspection observations has been posted on the FDA’s inspection database web page.

The FoodBugLady’s Advice to Consumers

If you have consumed raw sprouts from whatever source and you begin to experience symptoms of gastroenteritis, contact your family physician.

Clean and sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with raw sprouts.

DO NOT EAT RAW SPROUTS!

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Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

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Second possible source in outbreak linked to sprouts

Both companies share common seed supplier

August 31, 2026

Sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, LLC do not account for all of the E. coli and Salmonella illnesses currently under investigation in a multistate outbreak that has caused 55 illnesses so far.

The FDA‘s traceback investigation has identified a second sprout grower who received seeds from the same outfit that supplied alfalfa seeds to Everything Sprouts.

The supplier has instructed its customers not to use, grow, sell, transfer, or redistribute the implicated seed lot, and to return or dispose of any remaining seed.

Neither the second sprouting operation nor the seed supplier have been named by the FDA.

The FDA has requested that the seed supplier initiate a voluntary recall of the implicated lot of seeds and also contact their customers to recommend a recall of the sprouts produced from those seeds. The supplier has not responded to the recall request, nor have they contacted their downstream customers to recommend recalls.

The FDA is continuing its investigation of both sprout producers and of the potentially contaminated lot of seeds that was supplied to both companies.

Current outbreak and recall status

As of today, the CDC has not updated its case count, which stands at 55 confirmed cases, including 4 people hospitalized, in fifteen states. Seven of the victims were infected with Salmonella Agona, while 46 were confirmed to be infected with one of three strains of E. coli. At least two individuals suffered a double whammy—infected with both E. coli and Salmonella.

On August 28th, Everything Sprouts expanded its initial recall of three sprout products to include a fourth product due to what the FDA described as a risk of cross-contamination.

What you need to know

FDA recommends the following:

Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled sprouts.
Check your refrigerators and freezers for recalled sprouts and throw them away or return the product to the place of purchase. If you froze a product without the original packaging and can’t tell if it’s part of the affected sprouts, throw it away.
Consumers, restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers who purchased or received recalled sprouts, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that they touched. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Retailers that received recalled sprouts and repackaged them for individual sale should not sell them and should remove the products from the market.
Consult your health care provider immediately if you ate recalled sprouts and have any symptoms that resemble an STEC or Salmonella infection.

eFoodAlert adds one more: AVOID RAW SPROUTS, whether or not they have been recalled.

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations?

Click on the link to listen to a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital, print or audio copy to your personal library.

Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

Order TAINTED now from your preferred on-line retailer