CDC links multi-state food poisoning outbreak to alfalfa sprouts

Everything Sprouts issues voluntary recall as FDA cites prior warning

US health officials have linked a multi-state food poisoning outbreak to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota grower, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The agency reported at least 55 cases across 15 states with four hospitalizations and identified both salmonella and multiple E. coli strains among the sick — a combination that makes the investigation more complex than a typical single-pathogen outbreak.

Officials first announced the outbreak after documenting more than three dozen cases in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The CDC said case reports had also come in from Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.

The FDA said that of 34 sick people interviewed, 26 reported eating alfalfa sprouts.

Officials linked cases to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores. The company has responded with a voluntary recall of certain lots.

In a statement, Everything Sprouts said it had conducted daily tests since the outbreak began and had “not received any positive lab results.” The company added, “To date, no reports of illnesses involving Everyday Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts have been reported to the company.”

The FDA’s warning letter from June 2025 has resurfaced in the coverage of the current outbreak. The letter said inspections the year before had identified several points of concern, including a leaking roof that was dropping water onto bean sprouts and workers’ smocks.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli — STEC — can cause stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea, according to the CDC, and infections can lead to a severe complication involving acute kidney failure. Salmonella poisoning can cause diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration, and stomach cramps.

The recall comes days after Minnesota health officials warned consumers against the same products and the CDC reported 55 cases nationwide.