32 people in 6 states got Salmonella in an outbreak traced to broccoli seeds, now recalled in home sprouting packs

Thirty-two people in six states, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington, have been sickened by Salmonella Bovismorbificans, and the FDA has now traced the strain to a lot of broccoli seed. Three people were hospitalized and none died, according to the agency’s advisory, which was current as of Oct. 9, 2026.

Three companies have recalled broccoli sprouting seeds sold to home growers since Oct. 2, and the seeds were sold nationwide through online marketplaces.

Six states and the onset window

The FDA’s outbreak advisory lists case states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Illnesses began between July 7 and Sept. 3, 2026. Of 27 people interviewed, 26, or 96 percent, reported eating sprouts or microgreens; 22 named broccoli sprouts specifically, and one reported a microgreen mix that contained broccoli microgreens.

The state list needs one qualification, because the two federal agencies do not present it identically. The advisory itself notes that the CDC’s case map shows only Idaho, Montana, Utah and Washington, and the CDC’s investigation update, last revised Sept. 24, counts six states without naming them. The FDA’s six-state list is therefore the only one that names Minnesota and Oregon.

The case count grew from 22 on Sept. 9 to 32 on Sept. 24, and hospitalizations went from two to three. CDC placed ages between 2 and 87, with a median of 52, and cautioned that the true number of illnesses is likely much higher than reported because many people recover without testing and linking a case to an outbreak can take three to four weeks.

Seed lot W4105 and the laboratory match

The link to seed rests on a sample. FDA took broccoli seeds from the supplier, the sample tested positive for Salmonella, and whole genome sequencing matched the outbreak strain. The supplier then recalled seed lot W4105 and notified its customers, which set off the downstream recalls.

The earlier chain is documented too. In Montana, an unopened package from a sick person’s home matched the outbreak strain, and in Washington two sprout samples, one from a local food co-op and one from a sick person’s home, tested positive. FDA and state traceback pointed to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, of Moyie Springs, Idaho, which began recalling broccoli sprouts on Sept. 4 after Montana officials found a positive sample, as Food Safety News recorded at the time; CDC counts 215 cases of sprouts recalled. Those sprouts carried expiration dates of Sept. 7, 9, 11, 14 and 16, so they are past date and no longer for sale, which leaves the seed packs as the live part of the problem for anyone who grows broccoli sprouts at home from the named lots.

Three recalls aimed at home sprouting

The seed recalls came in a run of three, each from a different company and each with its own identifying marks. EAK Distribution LLC, of Casper, Wyoming, recalled 8-ounce packs of Home Grown green sprouting calabrese broccoli seeds on Oct. 2; they were sold on Amazon.com from Aug. 20 to Sept. 18 and carry lot code AUG172026. Eden Brothers LLC, of Arden, North Carolina, followed on Oct. 7 with calabrese broccoli seed in packets, 1-ounce and 1-pound sizes, lots 1022067 and 1022068, supplier lot W4105, sold on Edenbrothers.com and Amazon.com from July 8 to Sept. 28.

The third, from Gardeners Basics of Spanish Fork, Utah, came Oct. 9: Waltham 29 broccoli sprouting seeds in 1-pound pouches, UPC 848137042889, marked “Packed for 2027.” It lists no lot number, and the advisory does not tie it to lot W4105. Those pouches were sold nationwide on Amazon, gardenersbasics.com, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay and Etsy.

Handling instructions for recalled seed

The advisory’s instruction is blunt: “Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled lots of broccoli seeds.” It tells consumers, restaurants and retailers to clean and sanitize surfaces and containers that touched recalled sprouts or seeds, and to contact a health care provider if Salmonella symptoms follow exposure. The CDC’s Salmonella overview lists children under 5, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems among those at higher risk.

FDA is investigating this outbreak separately from the August 2026 outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella Agona linked to alfalfa sprouts, which has its own row on the agency’s outbreak investigations table alongside a separate sprouts entry, reference 1411, for Salmonella Bovismorbificans. The two sprout clusters involve different organisms, so a recalled alfalfa product does not belong on the broccoli list. The agency says the advisory will be updated if more downstream recalls occur, so a fourth seed recall remains the development that would extend the list of products named above. Until one appears, the FDA’s own list of three firms, two seed lots and one unnumbered pouch is the complete public inventory.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

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