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As of Oct. 1, federal officials counted 76 people in 16 states infected with outbreak strains of E. coli, Salmonella Agona, or both. Alfalfa sprouts from Minneapolis-based Everything Sprouts are one identified source, but the FDA says they do not account for every illness; six people have been hospitalized and no deaths reported.
The FDA reported 76 confirmed illnesses in 16 states as of Oct. 1 in an outbreak involving several strains of E. coli and Salmonella Agona associated in part with alfalfa sprouts from Everything Sprouts LLC of Minneapolis. Six people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported, but the sprouts do not explain all illnesses under investigation.
The illnesses include 64 E. coli infections, nine Salmonella infections and three people infected with both types of bacteria. The E. coli outbreak strains include O26:H11, O103:H25 and O168:H8. Illness onset dates range from May 31 through Sept. 7, according to the FDA’s update.
Patients have been reported in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. The report describes the outbreak as involving an additional state and more patients than in the FDA’s initial Aug. 21 notice, which identified 55 patients.
State and local health officials are asking patients what they ate during the week before becoming ill. Of 50 people interviewed, 40 said they had eaten sprouts and 35 specifically reported eating alfalfa sprouts. The FDA says epidemiological and traceback evidence connects Everything Sprouts’ alfalfa sprouts to some illnesses, while making clear that this product does not account for every case.
Everything Sprouts began a recall on Aug. 22 covering certain alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. It also recalled Robust Radish, Crunchy Protein Sprout and Zesty Garlic mixes. Separately, Berlin Seeds of Millersburg, Ohio, recalled 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seeds on Sept. 23 after its supplier notified the company of possible contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, and/or Salmonella. The FDA said traceback identified the seed lot as one used by another sprout grower whose finished sprouts were part of the investigation. The agency has not named the seed supplier.
Why Sprout Tracing Matters
The findings matter because sprouts are eaten raw or lightly cooked, leaving little or no cooking step to kill bacteria before consumption. A product linked to multiple pathogens can also complicate investigations: health officials must identify which foods and supply-chain sources relate to different infections, rather than assume one product accounts for every patient.
The current total is a count of confirmed, identified patients, not necessarily the full number of people who became ill. The source report notes that some people do not seek medical care and others are not tested for the pathogens. It cites CDC estimates that, for each Salmonella case identified in an outbreak, 29 may go undetected, and for each identified E. coli case, 26 may go undetected. Those are estimates, not a calculation of the number of people sickened in this particular outbreak.
For consumers, the practical point is to check the recall information and avoid any affected products still in their possession. Anyone who ate an implicated product and becomes ill should tell a health care provider about the possible exposure; the report says specific testing is needed to diagnose these infections. People with severe symptoms, including signs associated with kidney complications from E. coli, need prompt medical attention.
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Outbreak and Recall Timeline
The FDA first reported the outbreak on Aug. 21, when 55 patients had been identified. Everything Sprouts announced its recall the following day. The later Oct. 1 update raised the known total to 76 and extended the reported state reach to 16.
The investigation has involved more than one point in the supply chain. On Sept. 23, Berlin Seeds recalled seed after being told by its supplier that a lot identified in traceback had potential contamination. According to the source report, the lot was used by another sprout grower whose finished products were included in the FDA’s investigation. The agency has not publicly identified that supplier, and the recall does not establish that the seed accounts for every illness.
Illnesses linked to the investigation involve multiple E. coli serotypes and Salmonella Agona, and three patients had both kinds of infection. That mix is why investigators are examining patient food histories and product tracebacks rather than treating the outbreak as a single-pathogen event.
““Alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC is one of the sources of illnesses in this outbreak.””
— U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Cases and Sources Still Under Review
The full number of illnesses and all sources remain unknown. The FDA’s 76-patient count covers confirmed cases identified by Oct. 1; the report says some infections may go undetected because people do not seek care or are not tested. The CDC multipliers cited in the report are broad estimates and should not be used to calculate a precise total for this outbreak.
It is also not clear from the available report which products or exposures account for cases not explained by Everything Sprouts’ alfalfa sprouts. The FDA has not named Berlin Seeds’ supplier, and the source material does not state that the recalled seed was used in every implicated product or linked to every patient. No deaths had been reported as of the update, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Symptoms can overlap with other illnesses. The source report says E. coli can cause severe cramps and diarrhea, sometimes bloody, and that some infections lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney complication. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, cramps and fever. These symptom descriptions do not confirm that a person has either infection; diagnosis requires appropriate medical testing.
Further Interviews and Traceback
Public health officials are continuing to interview patients about foods eaten in the week before illness and to trace products through suppliers and growers. The next updates may clarify whether additional states or patients are identified, whether investigators connect more products or seed lots to illnesses, and whether further recalls are issued.
Consumers should follow current FDA and company recall notices for the named products rather than assume all sprouts are implicated. People who believe they ate a recalled item and develop symptoms should contact a health care provider and mention the possible food exposure. The FDA had not provided a final case total or a completion date for the investigation in the information available for this report.
Key Questions
How many people have been reported sick?
The FDA counted 76 confirmed patients in 16 states as of Oct. 1, 2026. Six were hospitalized and no deaths had been reported.
Which foods have been linked to the outbreak?
FDA evidence links Everything Sprouts LLC alfalfa sprouts to some illnesses, but the agency says those sprouts do not explain all cases. The company recalled certain alfalfa sprouts and three sprout mixes; check the FDA recall notice for product details.
Which products did Everything Sprouts recall?
The Aug. 22 recall covered certain alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands, plus Robust Radish mix, Crunchy Protein Sprout mix and Zesty Garlic mix.
Are the recalled seeds confirmed as the cause of all cases?
No. Berlin Seeds recalled 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seeds after a supplier reported possible contamination, and traceback identified a lot used by another grower whose finished sprouts were part of the investigation. The FDA has not named the supplier, and the report does not link the seed to every illness.
What should someone do after eating a recalled product?
Anyone who develops symptoms after eating an implicated product should seek medical advice and mention the possible exposure. The source report says specific tests are needed to diagnose E. coli or Salmonella; severe symptoms or possible kidney complications warrant urgent medical care.
Source: rss
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