Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Broccoli Sprouts: What to Know

6 min read

If broccoli sprouts have turned up on your sandwich or salad in the past few weeks, it's worth a quick look in your fridge. The CDC and FDA are investigating a multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to broccoli sprouts from a single Idaho grower, and the recalled product may still be sitting on some store shelves or in some kitchens. Here's exactly what's affected, what symptoms to watch for, and what to do if you have any in the house.

What's Happening

CDC, the FDA, and state health officials traced the outbreak to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC after whole genome sequencing matched the Salmonella strain in a sample collected by Montana officials to the strain making people sick. Of 19 people interviewed, all 19 reported eating sprouts and 17 specifically remembered eating broccoli sprouts, which is what led investigators to this single grower.

Illnesses began on July 7 and the most recent known case started on August 26, 2026. The company stopped shipping broccoli sprouts on September 4 while the investigation was underway, then filed a formal recall on September 10 covering 215 cases. This outbreak is being tracked separately from a Salmonella and E. coli outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts from a different producer, Everything Fresh Sprouts, LLC, which surfaced in August.

Is Your Bag One of the Recalled Ones

The recalled product is broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, sold without an additional brand name on the package. Look for clear plastic zip-lock bags or plastic clamshell containers, 4 ounces, with use-by dates of 9/07/26, 9/09/26, 9/11/26, 9/14/26, or 9/16/26.

The product was sold to grocery stores, restaurants, food co-ops, and food service customers in Idaho, Montana, and Washington, though both CDC and FDA note it may have traveled further into other states through additional distribution. If you bought loose sprouts at a salad bar or in a restaurant dish recently, the packaging details won't help you, so when in doubt, ask where the sprouts came from before eating them again.

Symptoms to Watch For

Most Salmonella infections show up as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, usually starting 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and lasting four to seven days in otherwise healthy adults. CDC's advisory is direct about when this stops being a wait-and-see situation: "call your healthcare provider right away" if you have diarrhea with a fever above 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improving, bloody diarrhea, vomiting so severe you can't keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration like reduced urination, a dry mouth, or dizziness when you stand up.

Children younger than five, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, and anyone with a weakened immune system face a higher risk of severe illness. If you develop symptoms after eating sprouts, tell your doctor specifically, since Salmonella requires a targeted test and can otherwise be mistaken for something else.

What to Do Right Now

Start with the product itself: throw away or return any recalled broccoli sprouts, and don't serve or sell them if you run a restaurant or store. Wash any containers, cutting boards, or surfaces the sprouts touched with hot, soapy water, since Salmonella spreads easily through cross-contamination even after the food itself is gone.

If you're currently sick with symptoms that match the pattern above, contact your healthcare provider rather than waiting it out, particularly if you're in a higher-risk group. And if you're unsure whether sprouts you have at home are the recalled batch, the safest move is to toss them and check with the store where you bought them.

A Pattern Worth Knowing

This is the third outbreak tied to this grower since 2011, based on reporting from Food Safety News. In 2011, 25 people in five states were sickened by Salmonella Enteritidis linked to alfalfa and spicy sprouts sold under the same company's earlier label, a case serious enough that the FDA issued a rare direct public warning when the company initially resisted recalling. In 2014, 19 people in six states were infected with E. coli after eating raw clover sprouts traced to the same grower.

None of this means sprouts are inherently unsafe to eat. It does explain why raw sprouts, as a category, show up in outbreak investigations more often than most produce: the warm, humid conditions that make seeds sprout are also ideal for bacteria, and sprouts are typically eaten raw with no cooking step to kill off contamination.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this recall affect all broccoli sprouts, or just this one brand?

Only broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC and sold with the use-by dates listed above are part of this recall. Other brands aren't included unless a future update says otherwise.

I ate broccoli sprouts recently and feel fine. Am I in the clear?

Probably, since symptoms typically start within 12 to 72 hours. But incubation can run longer in some cases, so keep an eye out over the following days, especially if you're in a higher-risk group.

How is this different from the alfalfa sprouts recall from August?

They're separate outbreaks involving different producers, different sprout varieties, and in one case a different pathogen combination. CDC and FDA are investigating them independently.

Can I make sprouts safe by cooking them?

Cooking sprouts thoroughly can reduce Salmonella risk, but recalled product should still be thrown out rather than cooked and eaten, since the safest step with any recalled food is to not use it at all.

Where can I check for the latest updates on this outbreak?

CDC and FDA both post updates on their outbreak pages as new information comes in, and those are the most reliable places to check before assuming an all-clear.

Conclusion

Outbreaks like this one move fast, and the details that matter, the brand, the packaging, the dates, can be easy to miss in a busy kitchen. If you've got broccoli sprouts at home and any doubt about where they came from, the safest move costs you nothing: check the bag, and when it matches, throw it out. For everything else, let your body's signals and your doctor guide the next step.

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