Health officials linked a 15-state outbreak to alfalfa sprouts.
Why it matters: The outbreak has immediate implications for restaurants, grocers and food distributors handling sprouts. Consumers in multiple states have been told to avoid Calco and Everything Sprouts-brand alfalfa sprouts.
- FDA says 55 people in 15 states have been sickened, with 4 hospitalizations and no deaths reported as of Aug. 21, 2026.
- Officials tied the illnesses to alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts, LLC of Minneapolis and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands.
- The outbreak involves multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and one strain of Salmonella Agona.
- FDA said 26 of 34 interviewed patients, or 76%, reported eating alfalfa sprouts before getting sick.
U.S. health officials on Aug. 21 said a multistate food-poisoning outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has spread to 15 states and sickened 55 people, according to the FDA. The agency said there have been four hospitalizations and no deaths reported so far.
The FDA identified alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts, LLC of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands as the source of the illnesses. The agency said the outbreak involves multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and one strain of Salmonella Agona, and that some people were infected with more than one outbreak strain. FDA said 26 of 34 interviewed patients, or 76%, reported eating alfalfa sprouts in the week before becoming ill.
Illness onset dates ranged from May 31, 2026, through Aug. 8, 2026, showing the outbreak began weeks before the public advisory. The FDA said it initiated an inspection and sample collection at Everything Sprouts on Aug. 19 and recommended the company conduct a recall.
State officials said the sprouts were sold to restaurants and grocery stores, raising immediate foodservice and retail implications. Wisconsin health officials said one patient was hospitalized and warned consumers not to eat alfalfa sprouts from Calco or Everything Sprouts. The Minnesota Department of Health said it had identified 23 linked cases, while Wisconsin confirmed 17. Wisconsin DHS said the cases were connected to a multistate outbreak of STEC and Salmonella infections.
The FDA also noted a prior warning letter to Everything Sprouts, dated March 28, 2025, that documented roof leaks and other insanitary conditions at the Minneapolis facility during a 2024 inspection.
By the numbers
- 55 - People sickened across 15 states as of Aug. 21, 2026
- 4 - Hospitalizations reported so far
- 76% - Interviewed patients who said they ate alfalfa sprouts before illness
Yes, but: FDA said it recommended a recall, but the dossier does not show a formal recall had been issued yet.
What's next: FDA said it recommended a recall and had begun inspection and sample collection at Everything Sprouts on Aug. 19, 2026.