Alarm: Sprouts Spark Multi-State Illness

Red emergency lights on dark floor, illuminating the area. — MULTI-STATE ILLNESS ALARM

Twenty-two people got sick in four states, and the government now says the reason was a bag of broccoli sprouts in their fridge.

Quick Take

Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC recalled 215 cases of broccoli sprouts tied to a Salmonella outbreak.
Twenty-two people got sick across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Utah, with two hospitalized.
The recall began September 4 after a Montana lab found Salmonella in a sample.
Health officials say this is the sprout grower’s third outbreak tied to its products in fifteen years.

What The Recall Actually Covers

Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC, based in Moyie Springs, Idaho, recalled 215 cases of broccoli sprouts on September 10. Each case held six four-ounce bags.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the sprouts could carry Salmonella, a germ that can cause serious and sometimes deadly infections in young children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems.

The recall notice lists specific use-by dates so shoppers can quickly check their fridges. Anyone with the affected bags should throw them out or return them, not just rinse and eat them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends cleaning any surfaces or containers the sprouts touched with hot, soapy water or a bleach solution.

How Investigators Traced The Source

The trail started on September 4, when Evergreen Fresh Sprouts issued its first recall after Montana state officials tested a sample and got a positive Salmonella result. Federal and state investigators then dug through interviews, lab results, and shipping records.

That combined evidence, known as traceback data, pointed straight back to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts as the common source of sprouts eaten by sick patients before symptoms hit.

Salmonella Outbreak: 22 people sick in 4 states with 2 hospitalizations.
Do not eat recalled broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts.
See the notice for full details: https://t.co/lRkvIeHCty pic.twitter.com/zci5DawdU4

— CDC (@CDCgov) September 9, 2026

By September 9, the FDA and CDC confirmed 22 illnesses tied to the outbreak. The cases stretched across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Utah, with two people hospitalized in Washington. Health officials say the strain involved is Salmonella Bovismorbificans, a less common type that made the outbreak easier to link across state lines.

A Sprout Grower With A Troubled History

This is not the first time Evergreen Fresh Sprouts has landed in an outbreak investigation. Food safety attorneys tracking the case say it marks the third outbreak tied to the company in fifteen years, with Washington state health officials first flagging illness clusters in early September before any recall existed. That pattern raises a fair question about whether inspection and testing at this facility have kept pace with the risk sprouts carry.

Sprouts are grown in warm, wet conditions that bacteria love. That is not a knock on this one company alone. The CDC has flagged sprouts as a repeat offender in foodborne illness for years, including a separate 2026 outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts that sickened 55 people in 15 states with both E. coli and Salmonella. Raw sprouts sit in a genuinely higher-risk category than most produce, and federal guidance has said so for years.

Why Regulators Move Fast On Cases Like This

Public health agencies have strong reason to warn early and broadly once lab and traceback evidence line up, because waiting costs lives, not just reputations. That is the tradeoff built into the system.

A company facing a recall has different incentives, including protecting its brand and limiting legal exposure, but the FDA and CDC’s job is public safety first, and their record here reflects that priority.

For families, the practical advice has not changed. Check use-by dates against the recall notice, toss anything that matches, and treat raw sprouts generally with caution, especially for kids, older relatives, and anyone with a weaker immune system. Cooking sprouts thoroughly kills the bacteria that raw versions can carry, a simple step the CDC keeps repeating for good reason.