Federal foodborne-illness investigations often begin with scattered cases across states before regulators can identify a common source. In this case, federal investigators narrowed a 15-state outbreak to alfalfa sprouts grown by Minneapolis-based Everything Sprouts, and the company initiated a recall on August 22, 2026. The action follows an FDA outbreak advisory issued a day earlier linking the sprouts to illnesses involving both Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella.
Everything Sprouts issued the recall after FDA tied illnesses to its alfalfa sprouts
Everything Sprouts, LLC recalled certain alfalfa sprouts sold under the Everything Sprouts and Calco brands on August 22, 2026, according to the FDA recall notice and the agency’s outbreak investigation page. Federal and state partners had received 55 illness reports tied to the outbreak, including 46 E. coli infections, 7 Salmonella infections, and 2 people infected with both pathogens, the FDA said. The agency also reported four hospitalizations and no deaths as of its August 24 update.
The recalled products include Alfalfa 6/5oz and Alfalfa 12/6/5oz packages in 5-ounce plastic containers with lot numbers 222, 223, 225, 226, and 230. The FDA said the containers bear bar codes 860014523113, 860014523120, and 850079470149. The same alfalfa sprouts were also used in Everything Sprouts Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix 5-ounce cups with lot numbers 222, 223, 226, and 230, and Zesty Garlic Mix 5-ounce cups with lot numbers 222, 223, 225, 226, and 230.
The official company announcement date and FDA publish date were both August 22, 2026, according to the FDA posting. An FDA recall number and hazard classification were not listed in the agency materials reviewed for this article, and the enforcement report system indicates some recalls may remain unclassified while FDA completes its hazard assessment. The stated reason for the recall was potential contamination with Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, or STEC.
The confirmed distribution footprint is narrower than the outbreak’s 15-state illness map
The illness count spans Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin, according to the FDA outbreak page. But the confirmed distribution footprint in the recall notice is narrower: the products were distributed from May 27, 2026, through August 21, 2026, to wholesale distributors and grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin. FDA also said traceback shows the sprouts were distributed to restaurants in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
That distinction matters for readers because regulators have confirmed cases in 15 states while only confirming direct product distribution in two states so far. The FDA said it is working to determine whether the recalled product was further distributed to other states. The agency has not released a comprehensive list of affected grocery stores, restaurants, or city-level locations in Minnesota or Wisconsin.
For consumers and businesses, the instructions differ slightly between the recall notice and the outbreak advisory but point in the same direction. The company said consumers should immediately dispose of affected lots and clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the products may have touched. The FDA advisory said consumers should check refrigerators and freezers, throw the sprouts away or return them to the place of purchase, while retailers, restaurants, and foodservice customers should not eat, sell, or serve them.
The outbreak traceback adds to long-running food-safety scrutiny around raw sprouts
The FDA said epidemiologic and traceback data identified alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts as a source of illness in the outbreak. Illness onset dates ranged from May 31, 2026, to August 8, 2026, and among 34 people interviewed, 26 reported eating alfalfa sprouts in the week before getting sick, according to the agency. FDA also said it initiated an inspection and sample collection at Everything Sprouts on August 19, 2026, and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Sprouts have long been treated as a higher-risk raw produce category because warm, moist growing conditions can allow pathogens to multiply, and FDA guidance for sprout operations includes specific standards for seed treatment, environmental monitoring, and sanitation. That broader context has been part of federal oversight of Everything Sprouts before this outbreak. In a warning letter dated March 28, 2025, the FDA said a 2024 inspection at the company’s Minneapolis sprouting operation found conditions the agency said rendered products adulterated under federal law.
For customers, the immediate meaning is practical rather than speculative: only the identified products and lot codes are part of the recall, but they should no longer be eaten, sold, or served. The FDA said repackaged sprouts from retailers that received the recalled products also should not be sold. Everything Sprouts said it is continuing to work with public health officials and will provide updates as more information becomes available.