Raw Broccoli Sprouts Recall Expands Across Four States

At least 22 illnesses have been reported across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Utah as of September 9 in a multi-state *Salmonella* outbreak linked to raw broccoli sprouts. Federal food safety officials and state health departments are tracking the outbreak, while Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC has halted production and issued a voluntary recall.

The recall covers 215 cases of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts. The product was packaged in four-ounce clear plastic zip-lock bags, with six individual bags in each case, and bears the UPC code 8 38796 00105 1.

Affected batches carry use-by dates of September 7, September 9, September 11, September 14, and September 16, 2026. According to regulatory filings, the company shipped the sprouts to three major distributors in Washington between August 24 and September 2. The products may then have been distributed to retail supermarkets and foodservice providers across Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

The contamination was identified when a batch marked with a September 16, 2026, use-by date tested positive for *Salmonella* during routine testing by an independent third-party laboratory. Evergreen Fresh Sprouts suspended all sprout production and distribution on September 4 and began an internal root-cause investigation into how the pathogen entered the facility or seed supply.

Sprout growers face strict requirements under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), including the Produce Safety Rule. Sprouts have historically posed significant regulatory and sanitation challenges because of their unique cultivation process.

Sprout seeds require warm, humid conditions to germinate, which are also the conditions in which pathogens such as *Salmonella* and *E. coli* thrive. If even a small number of bacteria are present on or inside a seed, the pathogen population can surge to dangerous levels during sprouting, making subsequent washing ineffective.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA advise consumers who purchased the recalled sprouts to discard them immediately. Food establishments, restaurants, and retailers should not sell or serve the product. They are also urged to thoroughly wash and sanitize surfaces, utensils, and storage bins that may have contacted the sprouts to prevent cross-contamination.

*Salmonella* infection, also called salmonellosis, affects the intestinal tract. The CDC estimates that *Salmonella* bacteria cause approximately 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States each year. Contaminated food is the primary source of transmission.

Symptoms typically appear within six hours to six days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals recover within four to seven days without specific treatment, but severe, life-threatening infections can occur in infants, adults over 65, and people with compromised immune systems.

Public health officials advise anyone experiencing symptoms of food poisoning to monitor their condition closely and contact a healthcare professional if signs of severe infection develop. These include a high fever exceeding 102 degrees Fahrenheit accompanied by diarrhea, bloody stools, persistent diarrhea lasting more than two days, prolonged vomiting that prevents the retention of liquids, or severe dehydration marked by reduced urination, dry mouth and throat, and dizziness upon standing.