Updated September 9, 2026
Federal and state health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of *Salmonella* infections linked to broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published its outbreak advisory on September 9, 2026, [warning consumers, restaurants, and retailers not to eat, serve, or sell the recalled product](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). The federal notice came roughly a week after Washington and Montana health departments first alerted the public.
The Numbers as of September 9
According to the FDA, [22 people infected with the outbreak strain have been reported across four states](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026): Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Washington. [Two people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). [Illness onset dates range from July 7 to August 26, 2026](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026), which means the outbreak had been building for nearly two months before the public was notified.
The epidemiological evidence pointing at sprouts is unusually strong. Of the 19 sick people who had been interviewed by the time of the FDA update, [every single one reported eating sprouts, and 17 of them (89 percent) specifically recalled eating broccoli sprouts](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). Since sprouts are not a food most Americans eat every week, that level of agreement is a strong signal.
The strain involved is [*Salmonella* Bovismorbificans](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026), a serotype that turns up in produce-related outbreaks less often than familiar names like Enteritidis or Typhimurium. The CDC’s companion advisory lists the same headline figures: [22 cases, two hospitalizations, zero deaths, and four affected states](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html).
How Investigators Connected the Sprouts to the Illnesses
The FDA describes a two-track investigation. On the epidemiology side, CDC and state partners interviewed patients about what they ate in the days before becoming sick. On the traceback side, [FDA and state investigators followed the supply chain backward from the places where patients bought or ate sprouts and identified Evergreen Fresh Sprouts as the common grower](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026).
The decisive piece of evidence came from a laboratory in Montana. State officials there collected a sample of Evergreen broccoli sprouts, tested it, and found *Salmonella*. [Whole genome sequencing performed by state partners and reviewed by FDA showed that the bacteria in that sample matched the strain making people sick](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026).
That positive result triggered the recall. [Evergreen Fresh Sprouts initiated a recall of its broccoli sprouts on September 4, 2026](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026), two days after Washington’s first public notice and one day after Montana’s.
Which Products Are Affected
The recalled product is fairly specific. It is [broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, packaged in plastic bags or plastic clamshell containers, with expiration dates of 9/7, 9/9, 9/11, 9/14, and 9/16](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). The label on the bag pictured in the FDA advisory reads “Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC, Broccoli Sprouts, Net Wt. 4 oz” and lists the company’s Moyie Springs, Idaho address.
The FDA says the recalled sprouts were [sold to grocery stores, restaurants, and foodservice customers in Idaho, Montana, and Washington](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). The CDC adds [food co-ops to that list of sales channels](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html). Both agencies caution that [distribution has only been confirmed in those three states and the product may have traveled further](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). The fact that Utah has a reported case, even though Utah is not on the confirmed distribution list, supports that caution.
Because the sprouts were also served in restaurants, some people may have eaten them without ever seeing a package.
Not the Same as the Alfalfa Sprout Outbreak
This is the second sprout-related outbreak federal agencies are handling this season, and the FDA goes out of its way to keep the two separate. [The broccoli sprout investigation is being run independently from an ongoing Shiga toxin-producing *E. coli* and *Salmonella* outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026), which the FDA is tracking on a separate advisory page dated August 2026.
The CDC makes the same point, noting that [the broccoli sprout outbreak does not appear related to the alfalfa sprout outbreaks traced to a different company, Everything Fresh Sprouts, LLC](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html). Both Washington and Montana health departments flagged the distinction in their own notices, with Montana identifying the alfalfa sprout producer as [Everything Sprouts, LLC in Minnesota](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella). The similar company names (Evergreen versus Everything) are a coincidence; these are two different growers in two different states producing two different kinds of sprouts.
What Washington State Reported
Washington has carried the heaviest burden in this outbreak, and its Department of Health was the first agency to go public. In a notice dated September 2, 2026, the department reported that [13 Washington residents had fallen ill, with onset dates from July 7 to August 18](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc). At that stage the picture was somewhat murkier than the FDA’s later summary: [of 12 Washington patients interviewed, eight reported eating Evergreen sprouts, seven of those specifically broccoli sprouts, and one could not recall the variety](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc).
Washington also provided county-level detail that neither federal agency published. [King County had four cases, Whatcom County three, Spokane County two, and Skagit, Snohomish, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties one each](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc). Both of the outbreak’s hospitalizations were Washington residents. The state noted that [patients had purchased the sprouts from grocery stores, food co-ops, and restaurants](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc), and that [samples from Evergreen and from other suppliers were being tested at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc).
Notably, Washington’s page still lists the recall status as “No,” reflecting that it was last updated September 2, before Evergreen’s September 4 recall. Readers should treat the FDA and CDC pages as the current source on recall status.
What Montana Reported
Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services issued a press release on September 3, 2026. At that time the state counted [two Montana residents among the sick, alongside 13 in Washington and one in Idaho](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella). Montana officials were candid that the count was likely to grow, saying they [expected additional in-state cases to be confirmed as laboratory testing was completed](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella).
Montana’s release also describes the on-the-ground response. [Local sanitarians were contacting stores known to have carried the sprouts to get the product pulled from shelves](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella), and [Montana patients reported buying the sprouts at grocery stores within the state](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella). Most significantly, Montana disclosed that [sprout samples from Evergreen were undergoing testing at the Montana Public Health Laboratory](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella). That is the testing that ultimately produced the positive sample and the genetic match the FDA cited as the basis for the recall.
Idaho and Utah
Neither the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare nor the Utah Department of Health and Human Services had published a dedicated public advisory on this outbreak as of September 9. Idaho’s single case was first disclosed through the Washington and Montana notices, and Utah’s involvement became public only through the CDC case-count map reproduced on the FDA page, which shows cases in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Washington. Residents of those states should rely on the FDA and CDC advisories for now.
Symptoms and When to Seek Care
The FDA notes that [*Salmonella* illness usually begins 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and lasts four to seven days](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026), with diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps as the hallmark symptoms. [Children under five, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of severe illness](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026).
The CDC lists specific warning signs that warrant an immediate call to a healthcare provider: [diarrhea with a fever above 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improvement, bloody diarrhea, vomiting so severe that liquids cannot be kept down, or signs of dehydration such as reduced urination, dry mouth, and dizziness on standing](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html).
What Consumers and Businesses Should Do
The guidance from all four agencies is consistent. Anyone with recalled Evergreen broccoli sprouts should [throw them away or return them to the store](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html). Because *Salmonella* spreads easily in a kitchen, the FDA advises that [customers who handled the sprouts should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the product touched](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). The CDC suggests [hot soapy water or a dishwasher for that job](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html).
Restaurants and retailers should [stop selling or serving the recalled sprouts immediately and sanitize anything that came into contact with them](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html). The FDA points businesses to its [food safety tips for retailers during an outbreak](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/food-safety-tips-consumers-retailers-during-outbreak-foodborne-illness).
People who believe they became sick after eating these sprouts should contact a healthcare provider. Montana specifically asks residents to [report suspected cases to their local or tribal health department](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella), while Washington directs reports to its [Foodborne Illness Notification System](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc). Consumers in any state can also file a complaint through the [FDA’s Human Foods Program assistance page](https://www.fda.gov/food/resources-you-food/get-assistance-fda-human-foods-program-hfp).
The Bigger Picture
Raw sprouts are a recurring food safety problem because seeds germinate in warm, humid conditions ideal for bacteria and are eaten without cooking. Evergreen Fresh Sprouts itself has a history: reporting in the food safety trade press notes that the company was [linked to a 2011 multistate *Salmonella* outbreak involving alfalfa and spicy sprouts and a 2014 *E. coli* O121 outbreak involving raw clover sprouts](https://efoodalert.com/2026/09/04/second-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-sprouts/).
The FDA describes its investigation as [ongoing and says the advisory will be updated as more information becomes available](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026). Given that the most recent illness onset was August 26 and *Salmonella* cases typically take two to four weeks to be reported and sequenced, the case count could rise before the outbreak is declared over.
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**Sources:** [FDA Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Sprouts (September 2026)](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-sprouts-september-2026) · [CDC Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Broccoli Sprouts](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/broccoli-sprouts-09-26/index.html) · [Montana DPHHS press release, September 3, 2026](https://dphhs.mt.gov/News/2026/September/Sprouts-Salmonella) · [Washington State Department of Health outbreak page, September 2, 2026](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-salmonella-outbreak-linked-broccoli-sprouts-evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc) · [eFoodAlert, September 4, 2026](https://efoodalert.com/2026/09/04/second-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-sprouts/)
