A Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled broccoli sprouts from an Idaho grower has now sickened 32 people in six states. In its Sept. 24 update, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections tied to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho, have been reported in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, with three hospitalizations and no deaths.

The count rose by 10 illnesses and two states since the agencies' Sept. 9 update, which listed 22 people in four states. Illnesses began between July 7 and Sept. 3. Of 27 people interviewed, 26 reported eating sprouts or microgreens, 22 said they specifically ate broccoli sprouts, and one reported eating a microgreen mix containing broccoli microgreens.

The FDA says the recalled sprouts should already be past their expiration dates and no longer for sale, so the immediate risk for most shoppers is low. The practical concern is for households that froze or kept leftover sprouts, businesses that may still hold product, and anyone who ate the sprouts recently and feels sick. The outbreak is also a reminder that sprouts carry a risk built into the way they are grown.

Where the Illnesses Are Turning Up

Washington carries most of the burden. The Washington State Department of Health reported 24 Washington cases and two hospitalizations in its Sept. 24 update. King County, home to Seattle, had seven cases; Whatcom County had five; and Spokane County had four, with the rest spread across Clark, Skagit, Island, Snohomish, Walla Walla and Yakima counties.

The recalled sprouts were sold to food co-ops, restaurants, foodservice customers and grocery stores in Idaho, Montana and Washington, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They came in plastic bags or clamshell containers with expiration dates of 9/7, 9/9, 9/11, 9/14 and 9/16. Both agencies say the product may have been distributed further, and the federal notices do not describe how people in states outside the confirmed distribution area were exposed.

This outbreak is separate from one tied to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, LLC in Minnesota. That E. coli and Salmonella outbreak had reached 55 illnesses in 15 states as of CDC's Sept. 1 update, meaning two unrelated sprout outbreaks have been under investigation at the same time.

Genetic Fingerprints Link Store Samples to Patients

Laboratory evidence has grown stronger since the recall. Evergreen Fresh Sprouts began its recall on Sept. 4 after Montana officials found Salmonella in a broccoli sprout sample that whole-genome sequencing matched to the outbreak strain. Since then, Washington officials tested sprouts collected from a local grocery store and from a sick person's home. Both samples were positive, and sequencing by state partners and the FDA showed they matched the strain making people sick.

Whole genome sequencing compares the DNA of bacteria from patients and food, which lets investigators link cases across state lines even when people struggle to remember what they ate. What has not been determined is where the contamination began. The FDA says it is still investigating the source and whether other products of concern may be on the market.

According to Food Safety News, this is the third outbreak since 2011 linked to the grower, following a 2011 Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that sickened 25 people in five states and a 2014 E. coli O121 outbreak that sickened 19 people in six states. Regulators have not publicly tied the current contamination to any specific practice at the farm, and the company's history does not by itself establish a cause.

Warm Water, Seeds and a Recurring Weak Point

Sprouts keep turning up in outbreaks for a structural reason: the conditions needed to grow them also suit bacteria. In its guidance for sprout operations, the FDA says the temperature, moisture, pH, and nutrients involved in sprouting are also ideal for pathogen growth. The agency counted 52 reported U.S. outbreaks linked to sprouts between 1996 and 2020, with an estimated 2,700 or more illnesses, 200 hospitalizations and three deaths.

Where investigators identify a source, it is most often the seed. Food scientists Setareh Shiroodi and Laura Strawn wrote in a Virginia Cooperative Extension fact sheet that contaminated seed is the primary source in most sprout outbreaks, and that even a very low level of seed contamination "can multiply dramatically and increase to millions of cells per serving." Poor sanitation during growing can add to the problem.

Federal rules reflect that risk. Under the Food Safety Modernization Act's Produce Safety Rule, covered sprout farms must take specific steps to prevent contamination and must test spent irrigation water or in-process sprouts from each production batch for Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. But the FDA's guidance notes that neither the rule nor the guidance is directed at growing, conditioning, or distributing seed for sprouting, which leaves an upstream link in the supply chain outside their direct reach.

Households with the Most at Stake and Next Steps

Anyone can get sick, but CDC says children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness. The Virginia Tech extension specialists advise those groups, along with pregnant women, to avoid raw sprouts of any kind.

Households should check refrigerators and freezers for Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts, throw them away or return them, and wash any items or surfaces they touched with hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. Restaurants and retailers should not sell or serve the recalled product.

Salmonella symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, CDC says. Most people recover in 4 to 7 days without treatment. CDC advises calling a health care provider right away for diarrhea with a fever above 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than 2 days without improving, bloody diarrhea, vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing.

The FDA and CDC will update their outbreak pages as new cases are confirmed, and the count may rise because illnesses take time to be reported and linked, even after a product leaves stores. Anyone holding leftover recalled sprouts should discard them, and higher-risk household members should follow long-standing advice to skip raw sprouts.

What Readers Want to Know

Which broccoli sprouts are recalled?

The recall covers broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho, sold in plastic bags or clamshell containers with expiration dates of 9/7, 9/9, 9/11, 9/14 and 9/16.

Which states have reported illnesses?

As of the Sept. 24 federal update, cases have been reported in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The sprouts were distributed in Idaho, Montana, and Washington and may have reached other states.

How many people have gotten sick?

Federal officials count 32 illnesses, including three hospitalizations and no deaths. Washington alone reported 24 cases as of Sept. 24.

Are the recalled sprouts still in stores?

The FDA says the recalled products should be past expiration and no longer for sale. Leftover sprouts at home, including any that were frozen, should be thrown out or returned.

Why are sprouts linked to so many outbreaks?

The warm, moist conditions used to germinate seeds also allow bacteria to multiply, and contaminated seed is the most commonly identified source. The FDA counted 52 sprout-linked outbreaks in the United States between 1996 and 2020.

Who should avoid raw sprouts?

Children under 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system face a higher risk of severe illness and are generally advised to avoid raw sprouts.

When should someone see a doctor?

CDC recommends calling a health care provider for diarrhea with a fever above 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than 2 days without improving, bloody diarrhea, persistent vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration.