Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Broccoli Sprouts — No Recall Has Been Issued Yet

Health officials in Washington, Montana, and Idaho are investigating a Salmonella outbreak linked to broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, an Idaho grower — and as of this writing, there is no recall. That matters more than it sounds like it should. Sixteen people are confirmed sick, but because no formal recall notice exists, there's no lot number, no UPC, and no retailer list you can check against what's in your fridge right now. The only guidance from state health departments is broader than usual: don't eat broccoli sprouts from this grower, period.

Here's what's confirmed, why the lack of a recall leaves you with fewer tools than you'd expect, and what to actually do about it.

What's Confirmed So Far

Washington's Department of Health, Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services, and Idaho health officials are jointly investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans tied to broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, based in Idaho. As of September 3, 2026, the case count stands at:

• 13 people in Washington
• 2 people in Montana
• 1 person in Idaho

That's 16 confirmed illnesses across three states. Reported onset dates for the Washington cases range from July 7 to August 18, 2026, which means this outbreak has been building for close to two months before drawing public attention — a common pattern with Salmonella, since it takes time for scattered local illnesses to get linked through genetic fingerprinting at state and federal labs.

The sprouts were sold two ways: in individual plastic clamshell containers or plastic bags at grocery stores and food co-ops, and unpackaged as a topping or ingredient at restaurants. That dual distribution path is part of why this is harder to track than a single packaged product — if you ate a sandwich or salad with sprouts on it anywhere in the affected region since early July, you have no way of knowing after the fact whether Evergreen supplied the sprouts on your plate.

Why There's No Recall — and Why That's Not Reassuring

Here's the part worth sitting with: no recall has been issued for this product. That's not because the risk is low. It's because sprouts are highly perishable — most have a shelf life of roughly a week — and by the time health departments connect scattered illness reports to a common source through lab testing and interviews, the specific contaminated batches have almost certainly already been sold, eaten, or thrown out on their own.

A recall works by giving you something concrete to check: a lot number, a best-by date range, a UPC code. Without one, state health departments are left issuing a blanket warning instead — don't eat broccoli sprouts from this grower, full stop, regardless of when you bought them or what the package might have said. If you have any broccoli sprouts in your fridge right now and you're not certain of the grower, the safest move is to treat them as suspect rather than waiting for a recall notice that may never come for this specific outbreak.

This is also why sprouts as a category carry more baseline risk than most produce. Growing sprouts requires warm, humid conditions for several days — exactly the environment Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria thrive in. The FDA and CDC have flagged raw sprouts as a repeat offender for decades, and unlike lettuce or spinach, rinsing sprouts at home does essentially nothing to reduce contamination, since bacteria can be embedded inside the seed itself, not just on the surface.

This Grower Has Been Here Before

This isn't Evergreen Fresh Sprouts' first outbreak. Public health records show two prior incidents tied to the same grower:

• 2011: Alfalfa and spicy sprouts from Evergreen were linked to a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that sickened 25 people across 5 states. That incident did result in a product recall.
• 2014: Raw clover sprouts from Evergreen were linked to an E. coli O121 outbreak that sickened 19 people across 6 states.

Counting this 2026 broccoli sprout outbreak, that's three documented outbreaks tied to the same grower across 15 years, totaling roughly 60 illnesses — but only one of the three resulted in a formal recall. If you've seen this outbreak described elsewhere as the grower's fourth, we can't confirm that from the public health records available as of this writing; the sourced case history points to three, and we'll correct this if a fourth prior incident surfaces.

A repeat-offender pattern like this is worth knowing regardless of the exact count, because it tells you something a single outbreak doesn't: whatever's causing contamination at this facility — likely in the seed supply, water source, or growing equipment, per past FDA sprout investigations — hasn't been fully resolved by the time the next outbreak shows up.

Separate From the Alfalfa Sprout Outbreak You May Have Heard About

If you've also seen news about a Salmonella and E. coli outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts from Everything Sprouts, LLC in Minnesota, that's a different grower, different product, and different investigation. Washington's health department has explicitly noted the Evergreen broccoli sprout outbreak "appears unrelated" to that Minnesota alfalfa sprout situation. Two separate sprout-related outbreaks surfacing in the same news cycle is a coincidence of timing, not evidence of a single larger contamination event — but it's a good reminder that sprouts as a category are having a rough season, not just this one grower.

Symptoms to Watch For

Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) typically shows up 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. The common symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Chills

For most healthy adults, symptoms resolve within 4 to 7 days without treatment beyond staying hydrated. But it's worth knowing when to escalate. Seek medical attention if you experience:

• A fever above 102°F
• Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days
• Bloody stools
• Signs of dehydration — reduced urination, dry mouth, dizziness when standing

Older adults, young children, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system face a higher risk of severe illness, including infections that spread beyond the gut into the bloodstream. If you're in one of those groups and you've eaten broccoli sprouts from a grocery store, co-op, or restaurant in Washington, Montana, or Idaho since early July and start feeling sick, tell your doctor specifically about the sprouts — mentioning the outbreak by name helps them consider Salmonella testing rather than assuming a generic stomach bug.

What To Actually Do Right Now

Since there's no recall to check against, your options are narrower than usual, but not nonexistent:

Check your fridge for any broccoli sprouts, regardless of brand labeling. If you can identify Evergreen Fresh Sprouts as the source, or you bought loose or unlabeled sprouts in Washington, Montana, or Idaho and can't confirm the grower, throw them out. Don't taste-test to check freshness — Salmonella contamination doesn't change how food looks, smells, or tastes.

If you ate at a restaurant that serves sprouts in these states recently, you don't need to panic-monitor yourself, but do pay attention. If GI symptoms show up in the days after and don't resolve on the normal timeline, that context is worth mentioning to a doctor.

If you're higher-risk — pregnant, immunocompromised, over 65, or feeding young kids — this is a good moment to skip raw sprouts entirely for a while, not just from this grower. The FDA has recommended for years that these groups avoid raw sprouts altogether given how resistant the category is to home food-safety measures like washing.

Check for updates directly, since this is still developing. FDA.gov's recalls and outbreak page and your state health department's website are the most current sources — case counts, states involved, and recall status can all change within days on an active investigation like this one.

Quick Answers

Is there a recall I can search for? No. As of this writing, no formal recall has been issued for Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts, despite 16 confirmed illnesses. The guidance from health departments is to avoid the product entirely rather than check against a specific lot or date code.

How do I know if my sprouts are from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts? If they came loose or unlabeled from a grocery store, co-op, or restaurant in Washington, Montana, or Idaho, you may not be able to confirm the grower after the fact. When in doubt, don't eat them.

Is this the same outbreak as the alfalfa sprout news I saw? No. That's a separate outbreak tied to Everything Sprouts, LLC alfalfa sprouts out of Minnesota. Health officials consider the two unrelated.

Why doesn't washing sprouts protect me? Bacteria on sprouts can be embedded in the seed itself, not just sitting on the surface, because sprouts grow in warm, moist conditions for days before sale — the same conditions that let bacteria multiply. Rinsing removes surface dirt but doesn't reliably eliminate contamination that's already inside.

Should I avoid all raw sprouts, not just broccoli sprouts from this grower? If you're in a higher-risk group — pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised, very young — the FDA's standing recommendation is to skip raw sprouts of any kind. For everyone else, it's a personal risk call; this outbreak is a reasonable prompt to at least know which growers supply the sprouts you buy going forward.

The Bottom Line

Sixteen people across three states are sick with Salmonella tied to broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC — a grower with two prior sprout-related outbreaks on record going back to 2011. No recall has been issued, which means there's no lot number or date code to check, only a blanket recommendation to avoid the product. If you have broccoli sprouts in your fridge right now and can't confirm they're from a different grower, the lowest-effort safe move is to throw them out. This is an active investigation — check FDA.gov and your state health department directly for updates, since the case count and recall status could both change quickly.

If this kind of gap between "people are getting sick" and "there's a recall to check" bothers you as much as it bothers us, it's one more argument for knowing where your produce actually comes from. Thrive Market sources traceable, verified pantry and produce staples if you're looking to reduce exposure to supply-chain blind spots like this one, and membership includes $30 off your first order.

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Last updated: 2026-09-05