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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a double E. coli and Salmonella outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts over on Nov. 9, after 77 illnesses in 16 states, 6 hospitalizations and no deaths. The FDA closed its own investigation the same day.
The seed supplier behind the contaminated lot is still missing from the FDA’s outbreak page. Food Safety News reported in September that an FDA Enforcement Report entry lists International Sprout Holdings Inc. of Cookeville, Tennessee, in a recall of 43,799 pounds of alfalfa seed. The outlet presumed, but did not confirm, that the recall was tied to this outbreak, and neither the FDA nor the CDC has said so.
77 Illnesses: 64 With Only E. Coli, 10 With Only Salmonella and 3 With Both
The FDA says the people who got sick had symptom onsets between May 31 and Oct. 19. According to the FDA’s outbreak page, 64 had E. coli only, 10 had Salmonella only and 3 had both.
Of 52 people interviewed, 41 (79 percent) said they ate sprouts before getting sick, and 36 of those named alfalfa sprouts. Cases were reported in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
The true number is probably higher. Food Safety News relayed the CDC’s estimate that about 29 Salmonella cases and 26 E. coli cases go undetected for every one that is identified.
The outbreak involved three Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains (O26:H11, O103:H25 and O168:H8) and one Salmonella strain, Salmonella Agona. The CDC says some E. coli patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney condition that requires hospital care.
From Minneapolis Sprouts to a Shared Seed Lot
Everything Sprouts of Minneapolis recalled alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands on Aug. 22. The FDA recall notice says the sprouts went to wholesalers and grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin between May 27 and Aug. 21. The FDA has since terminated that recall as complete.
On Aug. 28, the company widened the recall to Robust Radish Sprout Mix in 5-ounce cups because of possible cross-contamination with the recalled alfalfa sprouts, the CDC reported.
The investigation pointed to a common seed supplier. The FDA later identified the seed lot as SAL2-24JB, with an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2029, according to Food Safety News.
What the FDA Has and Has Not Said About the Supplier
The FDA recommended that the supplier recall the lot and notify its customers. On Aug. 31, the agency said the supplier had not responded, according to Food Safety News. On Sept. 15, the FDA reported the supplier had agreed to start a recall, but its outbreak page still does not give a name.
The same Food Safety News report said the company’s name had appeared in an FDA Enforcement Report entry for the Aug. 23 recall of 43,799 pounds of alfalfa seed. That recall went to wholesale customers in 16 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Tahiti and Venezuela. Neither the FDA nor the CDC outbreak notices state that the Enforcement Report company is the supplier tied to this outbreak.
The November Food Safety News story says the FDA knows who the supplier is and has not made the name public. The agency’s closing update describes the lot only by its code.
Berlin Seeds Recalled 950 Pounds Sold in 44 States
Berlin Seeds of Millersburg, Ohio, recalled 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seed on Sept. 23. The FDA posting says the seed was sold in its Millersburg store and on its website from Feb. 13 to Aug. 23, to customers in 44 states.
The recall notice says the company’s supplier traced the seed to a sprout grower whose sprouts were part of the FDA investigation. It also says a spent irrigation water sample from one of the supplier’s alfalfa seed lots tested positive for E. coli. Berlin Seeds said it had received one illness report.
The lot code is printed only on the 5-pound and 50-pound bags, so the smaller bags carry no identifier beyond the purchase window. Marler Blog, a food safety law firm’s site, put the Berlin Seeds recall at about 2 percent of the 43,799-pound lot.
What the CDC and FDA Say to Do About Sprouts
The CDC calls raw and undercooked sprouts a common cause of foodborne illness and says cooking them until steaming hot lowers the risk. Its general advice is to clean, separate, cook and chill, and to refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The FDA says sprouts grown from the recalled lot are past their best-by dates and should no longer be sold. Anyone holding leftover recalled seed should not sprout it, and should seal it in a bag and throw it away, the Berlin Seeds notice says. Sprout growers should check inventory for the lot and discard any remaining seed.
Other recent food safety coverage on this site includes the 9 leftovers that carry higher food safety risk, the USDA’s Thanksgiving leftover timeline and the Kirkland whipped cream recall.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: pics_pd – CC0/Wikimedia Commons