A foodborne illness outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has sickened 55 people across 15 US states, federal health authorities said on 21 August 2026, in what investigators describe as an unusually complex contamination event involving four bacterial strains at once.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 46 cases of E. coli infection, seven of Salmonella, and two patients infected with both pathogens simultaneously. Four people have been hospitalised. No deaths have been reported. The CDC acknowledged the true case count is likely much higher than confirmed figures suggest.
The implicated products are alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts LLC, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brand names at retailers and grocery stores.
Illness onset dates range from 31 May to 8 August 2026. Of 34 patients who were interviewed, 26, or 76%, reported eating alfalfa sprouts before falling ill.
The outbreak is rare in its microbial profile. Investigators identified three strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC): serotypes O26:H11, O103:H25, and O168:H8, alongside one strain of Salmonella Agona. Finding multiple distinct pathogens in a single outbreak is uncommon.
The states affected are Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. Minnesota reported 23 illnesses with two hospitalisations; Wisconsin confirmed 17 cases with one hospitalisation.
Traceback investigations at restaurants in Minnesota and Wisconsin pointed to Everything Sprouts as a source of the contaminated produce. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began an inspection and sample collection at the company's facility on 19 August 2026.
The FDA has recommended that Everything Sprouts issue a product recall. As of 21 August, the company had not done so. The precise source of contamination within the facility or its supply chain remains under investigation.
The FDA had previously issued a warning letter to Everything Sprouts following earlier inspection findings. Those findings included a leaking roof dripping water onto bean sprouts and workers' smocks. It is not yet known whether those conditions are linked to the current outbreak.
Sprouts carry a recognised contamination risk. Seeds are germinated in warm, humid conditions that favour the growth of bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, making them one of the higher-risk categories of fresh produce.
A separate outbreak is active in Europe, though investigators have drawn no connection between the two events. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported 109 cases of Salmonella Bovismorbificans across 10 European Union and European Economic Area countries and the UK between January and May 2026, resulting in 18 hospitalisations and one death. The implicated seeds were imported from India.
The US outbreak is one of several concurrent foodborne illness events in the country. Investigators are also tracking a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce and a separate Salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeños. Federal health authorities have urged consumers who bought alfalfa sprouts under the Calco or Everything Sprouts labels to discard them and seek medical attention if they develop symptoms including severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, or vomiting.
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