Time to Check Your Crisper Drawer: What to Know About the Latest Alfalfa Sprout Recall

If you recently picked up fresh alfalfa sprouts for a sandwich or crisp salad, you will want to double-check your crisper drawer before taking another bite. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alongside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has issued an urgent health alert regarding a multistate outbreak linked to contaminated alfalfa sprouts. Dozens of people across more than a dozen states have fallen ill after consuming raw sprouts tainted with dangerous bacteria.

What makes this particular food safety event stand out is that investigators have identified infections from two separate pathogens: Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). While most foodborne illness investigations center on a single culprit, multiple individuals in this outbreak tested positive for both strains simultaneously. Traceback investigations by public health authorities pinpointed raw alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts, LLC—sold under both the Calco and Everything Sprouts brand labels—as the primary source of the illnesses.

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Health agencies are actively urging consumers, restaurants, and grocery retailers not to eat, sell, or serve any of the affected sprouts. Because sprouts require warm, humid conditions to germinate and grow, those identical conditions create an ideal breeding ground for harmful pathogens. If contaminated seeds or processing water enter a growing facility, bacteria can multiply rapidly across the entire batch, making simple home rinsing or cold-water washing insufficient to eliminate the health hazard.

Symptoms of Salmonella and E. coli infections generally begin within six hours to six days after consuming contaminated food. Common warning signs include severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea (which often turns bloody), fever, and persistent vomiting. While most healthy adults recover within a week without prescription medication, vulnerable groups—such as children under five, adults aged 65 and older, and individuals with weakened immune systems—face a significantly higher risk of severe complications, including extreme dehydration and acute kidney injury.

If you find any affected alfalfa sprouts in your kitchen, discard them into a securely sealed trash bin immediately or return them to the point of purchase. Afterward, thoroughly clean and sanitize any cutting boards, refrigerator bins, countertops, and kitchen utensils that touched the packaging using hot, soapy water. If you or a family member develop lingering gastrointestinal symptoms after eating raw sprouts, contact your healthcare provider promptly.

Sources Used

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – E. coli and Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Alfalfa Sprouts
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – Outbreak Investigation of Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli & Salmonella: Sprouts