Everything Sprouts, LLC pulled its 5-ounce containers of alfalfa sprouts from the market on Friday after federal health officials linked the product to an E. coli and salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 55 people in 15 states. At least four people were hospitalized.
The recall put a hard number on a problem that had already moved beyond a single state. The company is based in Minneapolis, and Minnesota's Department of Health said the illnesses were tied to alfalfa sprouts produced by the grower and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores. The sprouts had been distributed since May 27, and illnesses began showing up between May 31 and Aug. 8.
Federal health officials said 46 people were infected with E. coli, seven with salmonella and two with both infections. That mix matters because it points to one contaminated food item that can carry more than one pathogen, making the outbreak harder to contain and the recall more urgent for anyone who bought or served the sprouts.
Everything Sprouts said it tests its products daily and had not received any positive lab results, even as state and federal officials linked the illnesses to its alfalfa sprouts. The FDA initiated inspection and sample collection at the company on Aug. 19 and recommended a recall, while also warning consumers and retailers not to eat or serve the contaminated products. That same agency had warned the company last year about serious violations after inspecting its facility, including roof leaks dripping onto produce and clean employee smocks and a build-up of black organic matter on a hose used in the overhead irrigation system.
The FDA and CDC are still working with the company on the recall and investigation, and federal health officials said the true number of sick people is likely higher than the 55 already identified. The unanswered question now is how far the recalled sprouts reached before the warning landed, because the product moved through restaurants and grocery stores for months before the recall.
