U.S. health officials are investigating a multistate food-poisoning outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts that has sickened 55 people across 15 states, with four people hospitalized, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak is unusual because affected individuals have been infected with Salmonella as well as multiple strains of E. coli, rather than a single pathogen.
Cases have been reported in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 34 patients were interviewed and 26 reported eating alfalfa sprouts before becoming ill.
Health officials are linking the illnesses to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota-based grower. The products were sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands and distributed to restaurants and grocery stores.
As of the latest update, the company had not issued a recall, according to the FDA.
The investigation involves both Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
STEC infections can cause severe abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea and, in some cases, can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially serious complication that can cause acute kidney failure.
Salmonella infections can cause diarrhea, fever, vomiting, dehydration and abdominal cramps.
The company had previously come under scrutiny from the FDA. In a March 2025 warning letter, the agency cited concerns identified during inspections, including a leaking roof that was allowing water to fall onto bean sprouts and workers’ smocks.
The investigation into the current outbreak remains ongoing as health authorities work to determine the full extent of contamination and identify additional affected products.
Consumers, restaurants and retailers should follow updates from the FDA and CDC regarding potentially implicated alfalfa sprout products and any future recall announcements.
Source:CNN