Alfalfa Sprouts Recalled After E. Coli and Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 55 People in 15 States

Everything Sprouts LLC, a Minnesota grower, recalled its alfalfa sprouts on August 22 after federal health officials linked the product to an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella that has sickened 55 people across 15 states, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Four people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported as of August 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC lists the outbreak as an open investigation.

Reported illnesses began May 31, according to the FDA. The CDC and FDA publicly announced the outbreak on August 21. Everything Sprouts didn't issue a recall until the next day, August 22. CNN reported that as of its outbreak coverage, the company had not yet recalled anything, and the FDA confirmed to CNN the company had been silent. The Associated Press reported it left messages for Everything Sprouts seeking comment and got nothing back.

A full day elapsed between public health agencies naming the company and the company actually pulling product. During that time, a known contamination source was still sitting on store shelves in Minnesota and Wisconsin after the government had already told the public which company was involved.

This isn't the first time Everything Sprouts has been on the FDA's radar. CNN reported that the FDA sent the company a warning letter last year after inspectors found problems, including a leaking roof dripping water onto bean sprouts and onto workers' smocks. Water contact with a raw agricultural product that's eaten uncooked creates the kind of exposure route that spreads E. coli and Salmonella.

What got recalled

The recall covers specific lots of alfalfa sprouts sold under the Everything Sprouts and Calco brands, plus certain Everything Sprouts Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix and Zesty Garlic Mix cups, according to Newsweek's reporting on the FDA notice. The company said it distributed the products between May 27 and August 21 to wholesalers and grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The CDC says 46 people have been infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, seven with Salmonella, and two people got hit with both pathogens at once. Most foodborne outbreaks trace to a single pathogen. Having two different bugs traced to the same product points investigators toward a shared contamination source, like water or growing conditions, rather than one isolated bad batch.

Of 34 patients interviewed, 26 said they'd eaten alfalfa sprouts before getting sick, a 76% hit rate, according to Newsweek and the FDA. The Washington Post reported the outbreak is concentrated mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where state health departments documented more than three dozen cases before the CDC's national count reached 55.

What consumers should do

The CDC and FDA are telling people not to eat the recalled products. Throw them out or return them to the store. Wash anything that touched the sprouts, including containers, cutting boards, and refrigerator shelves, with hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that's often bloody, and vomiting. Some people develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a kidney complication serious enough to require hospitalization. Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and cramps, with children under 5, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems facing higher risk of severe illness, according to the CDC.

Anyone with a fever above 102 degrees, diarrhea lasting more than two days, bloody diarrhea, or signs of dehydration should call a doctor, the CDC says.

The bigger pattern

Don Schaffner, a food microbiology professor at Rutgers University, told NPR this outbreak lands in the middle of a summer that's already seen Cyclospora in lettuce, Salmonella in jalapenos and eggs, and E. coli in frozen blueberries. Schaffner said he doesn't think outbreaks are actually happening more often, just that people are more tuned in after a large Cyclospora outbreak centered in Michigan and Ohio earlier this year.

Fresh produce has no "kill step." Unlike meat that gets cooked, raw sprouts go straight from grower to plate, meaning the entire safety chain depends on every handler along the way doing their job right. Schaffner said responsibility for catching problems and notifying the public ultimately falls on the company, with CDC, FDA, or USDA stepping in once an outbreak crosses state lines.

The FDA says its investigation is still open. It hasn't yet determined the exact source of contamination or whether other products or companies could be linked. Everything Sprouts has not publicly detailed what caused the contamination or addressed whether last year's warning letter connects to this outbreak. Newsweek said it emailed the company for comment and, as of publication, had not received a response.