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Idaho sprout grower recalls broccoli sprouts in third outbreak since 2011

Idaho sprout grower recalls broccoli sprouts in third outbreak since 2011

Rule Changes Salt Lake City, UT local

22 sickened across four states; this time a product sample matched

2 days ago: Salt Lake Tribune reports recall linked to 22 illnesses

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

Evergreen Fresh Sprouts recalled its broccoli sprouts on September 4 after Montana health officials found salmonella in an unopened package taken from a sick person's refrigerator. Twenty-two people in four states have been sickened, and two have been hospitalized.

This is the grower's third multistate outbreak since 2011. In the earlier two, product samples never matched the outbreak strain. This time a positive test tied the sickness to a specific bag of sprouts.

Why it matters

Raw sprouts are eaten without cooking, so contamination in a seed lot can sicken people across several states before a recall catches up.

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Key Indicators

22
Confirmed illnesses across four states
CDC expects the count to rise as recent illnesses get tied to the outbreak.
2
Hospitalizations
Both hospitalized patients are in Washington; no deaths reported.
66
People sickened across Evergreen's three outbreaks since 2011
25 in 2011, 19 in 2014, and 22 so far in 2026.
89%
Of interviewed patients who ate broccoli sprouts
Background rate is 8.7% of Americans eating any sprouts in a given week.

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Organizations Involved

EF
Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC
Sprout grower
Recalled broccoli sprouts September 4; under federal investigation

Broccoli sprout grower in Moyie Springs, Idaho, linked to three multistate outbreaks since 2011.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Federal regulatory agency
Investigating contamination source and distribution reach

Federal agency regulating sprout growers; confirmed distribution to three states and warned it may extend further.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Federal public health agency
Coordinating multistate investigation

Federal agency tracking the outbreak; notes the true illness count is likely higher than reported.
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
State health agency
Provided the positive product sample that triggered the recall

State agency that collected an unopened package of sprouts from a sick person's home and matched it to the outbreak strain.
Washington State Department of Health
Washington State Department of Health
State health agency
First to announce cases; holds 16 of 22 confirmed illnesses

State agency that reported the outbreak's first cases on September 2, 2026.

Timeline

June 2011 September 2026

9 events Latest: 2 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Salt Lake Tribune reports recall linked to 22 illnesses

    Latest News

    Media coverage brings the multistate outbreak to wider public attention.

  2. CDC and FDA post outbreak pages: 22 cases, four states

    Investigation

    Federal agencies confirm 22 illnesses, two hospitalizations, no deaths.

  3. Evergreen recalls broccoli sprouts

    Recall

    Positive salmonella test from a patient's package triggers recall of current run.

  4. Montana posts outbreak notice

    Public Notice

    State expects its count to climb once lab testing finishes.

  5. Washington reports 13 cases in three states

    Public Notice

    First public accounting of the outbreak; no recall yet issued.

  6. First illness onset in current outbreak

    Outbreak

    Earliest confirmed case begins; onsets run through August 26.

  7. E. coli outbreak tied to Evergreen clover sprouts

    Outbreak

    19 sickened in six states; again no product sample matched the strain.

  8. Evergreen Produce recalls sprouts

    Recall

    Company pulled alfalfa and spicy sprouts; product samples never matched.

  9. FDA warns consumers directly over Evergreen sprouts

    Regulatory

    25 people sickened in five states; FDA acted because co-owner resisted recall.

Scenarios

1

FDA names seed supplier as source of Evergreen contamination

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Food safety attorney Bill Marler's blog and state health officials

FDA's traceback moves upstream from the recalled bags to where Evergreen sources broccoli seeds. A single seed lot could explain why contamination persisted across July, August, and September. Investigators would also check whether the same supplier appears in the 2011 and 2014 outbreaks.

2

Outbreak fades without a confirmed seed-level source

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: CDC's note that the true case count is likely higher; pattern of the company's 2011 and 2014 outbreaks

More cases surface as testing catches up, then the outbreak ends as the contaminated product passes its short shelf life. Investigators confirm the recalled broccoli sprouts as the vehicle but cannot pinpoint where in the seed-to-sprout process contamination occurred. This is the typical ending for sprout outbreaks, including Evergreen's prior two.

3

FDA takes formal enforcement action against Evergreen

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: FDA enforcement patterns following repeated outbreaks at the same facility

An FDA inspection of the Moyie Springs facility, last conducted in 2024, could surface sanitation or testing failures. Three outbreaks since 2011 raise the stakes for a warning letter, an injunction, or a suspension of operations pending corrective action.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May-July 1996

Japan radish sprout E. coli outbreak (1996)

More than 12,000 people, mostly schoolchildren, sickened and 12 killed by E. coli O157 from radish sprouts in Sakai City, Japan. It remains one of the largest sprout-related outbreaks on record.

Then

Showed how a single contaminated seed lot can spread illness broadly because sprouts are eaten raw.

Now

Spurred global awareness that sprout production needs seed treatment and irrigation water testing.

Why this matters now

Illustrates that sprouts are a recurring global food-safety problem: seeds carry bacteria, sprouting conditions multiply it, and no cooking step kills it.

June-July 2011

Evergreen Produce salmonella outbreak (2011)

25 people in five states sickened by Salmonella Enteritidis from alfalfa and spicy sprouts sold under the Evergreen Produce label. FDA warned consumers directly on June 27 because co-owners resisted a recall, saying one would amount to admitting guilt. The company recalled on July 1.

Then

No product sample matched the outbreak strain; investigators relied on epidemiology and traceback.

Now

First of what became three outbreaks from the same grower over fifteen years.

Why this matters now

Same company, same pattern. Product samples never matched—which is what makes the 2026 positive match a departure.

2014

Evergreen clover sprout E. coli outbreak (2014)

19 people in six states sickened with E. coli O121 traced to raw clover sprouts served at sandwich shops in Washington and Idaho. Evergreen was identified by traceback, not product testing.

Then

Again product samples tested negative for the outbreak strain.

Now

Second outbreak from the same facility without a matching sample, cementing the company's record.

Why this matters now

Establishes the company's repeat-offender pattern and sets up the contrast with the 2026 positive test.

Sources

(5)
Salt Lake Tribune Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Southeastern Idaho Public Health Marler Blog Pritzker Hageman Law