CDC and FDA Report 22 Salmonella Illnesses in Four States Tied to Recalled Idaho Broccoli Sprouts
Evergreen Fresh Sprouts of Moyie Springs, Idaho, recalled broccoli sprouts on Sept. 4 after a Montana sample tested positive; federal officials counted 22 illnesses and two hospitalizations as of Sept. 9, 2026.
The Sample That Wasn't From the Plant
By September 9, 2026, federal and state health officials counted 22 people sick with the same strain of Salmonella across four states: 16 in Washington, four in Montana, one in Idaho and one in Utah[1][16]. Two ended up in the hospital. No one died[1][2]. The people got sick between July 7 and August 26 — all of it before anyone issued a recall[1][17].
The common thread was broccoli sprouts. Investigators interviewed 19 of the sick people. Every one of them said they'd eaten sprouts, and 17 — 89% — specifically named broccoli sprouts[2]. That pointed investigators toward one grower: Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, a small operation in Moyie Springs, Idaho[1][2]. On September 4, the company recalled 215 cases of its broccoli sprouts, about 1,290 four-ounce bags, with expiration dates spanning September 7 through September 16[2][3].
Here's the detail that ended up mattering more than the case count itself. The sample that confirmed the outbreak strain didn't come from inside Evergreen's facility. It came from a sick person's refrigerator in Montana, where state officials collected an unopened package and matched it to the outbreak. Separately, a third-party lab reported its own positive Salmonella result on in-date product, according to FDA's recall notice[2][10]. No sample from the plant itself has tested positive. FDA says its investigation into how the contamination happened is still open[2].
Why Sprouts Keep Showing Up in Outbreak Data
To understand why a company can recall a product without anyone finding contamination at the source, it helps to know how sprouts are made. Seeds are soaked and kept warm and wet for several days so they'll germinate. Those conditions are also close to ideal for growing bacteria[8]. A small number of germs riding in on a seed lot can multiply into a dangerous dose by the time the sprouts reach a store shelf.
That's why sprouts have their own dedicated federal safety rule, and why they turn up in outbreak counts more often than most produce. It also means an outbreak doesn't automatically prove a grower ran a dirty operation. If contaminated seed comes in from a supplier, even a clean, well-run facility can ship sprouts that make people sick.
That distinction is at the center of the disagreement over how this outbreak has been handled. Everyone agrees on the case count, the timeline and the recall's size. Where accounts diverge is on what those facts say about the company and the regulator behind it.
A Company on Its Third Outbreak
Evergreen Fresh Sprouts has now been publicly linked to three outbreaks since 2011, according to food safety attorney Bill Marler, whose law firm both tracks foodborne illness and sues companies over it[9][18]. A 2011 Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak tied to the company sickened 25 people in five states. A 2014 E. coli O121 outbreak sickened 19 people in six states. Combined with this outbreak, that's roughly 60 reported illnesses tied to one small grower over 15 years[9].
Marler also points to a 2014 FDA inspection report describing condensate dripping from rusty valves, a corroded watering system, and sprouts being scooped and moved with a scratched, frayed tennis racket and a corroded pitchfork[9]. He notes that most of the company's FDA inspections since 2011 were classified "Voluntary Action Indicated" — the agency's mildest finding, meaning inspectors flagged problems but left the company to fix them on its own, with no order and no required follow-up[9].
The regulatory piece of his argument turns on a specific power. Congress gave FDA the authority to order a mandatory recall back in January 2011, months before Evergreen's first outbreak. FDA has never used that power on this company[9]. Every Evergreen recall, including this one, has been voluntary — meaning the company chose to pull its own product rather than being ordered to. Before September 4, there was no recall notice and no official distribution list, so Marler says Montana sanitarians were calling stores one by one, on their own, trying to get sprouts off shelves[9][10].
What the Regulators Would Say for Themselves
FDA hasn't responded directly to that critique, but its actions describe a different logic. A voluntary recall moves product off shelves within days. A forced order, or an announcement that a specific facility tested positive, can trigger a legal fight that takes much longer to resolve — and the evidence for that step wasn't there[2][3]. Traceback data pointed to Evergreen as the common grower, the company recalled, and the source of contamination is still being investigated. From that view, the system worked roughly as designed: a cluster got spotted, a food got identified, a company got named, and product came off shelves.
Evergreen itself hasn't made any public statement beyond the recall notice. Its strongest available defense, assembled from the same agency record its critics cite, is straightforward: no sample from inside its plant has tested positive, and contaminated seed from an outside supplier can defeat even a well-run operation[2][10]. A recall covering roughly 1,290 bags also points to a small-scale business, not an industrial one — a detail the company hasn't had to argue itself, because the numbers already show it[3].
The sprout industry generally makes a related case. Under FDA's sprout-specific rules, growers already have to treat seeds and test the water sprouts grow in before each batch ships. Those controls catch a lot, industry advocates argue, but a clean test on one sample can't guarantee an entire batch is clean, because contamination on seeds tends to be uneven, or "patchy," rather than spread evenly through a lot.
How the Coverage Diverged
Outlets covering this story split largely by audience rather than by politics. Fox Business and The Epoch Times ran it as consumer-safety service journalism — what to check, what to throw out — with no mention of the company's history or FDA's use of its recall power[7][13]. Fox Business headlined "3 states," which describes where the product was distributed, while the illness count actually spans four states, including a case in Utah that a reader there might miss[7][1].
Newsweek's headline said the outbreak was "spreading" to four states[11]. But the newest known illness began August 26, well before the September 4 recall — so the four-state count reflects lab results and case reports catching up to already-finished infections, not new people getting sick in real time[1][11]. Food Safety News, which is funded by Marler's law firm, covered the story accurately but leaned into the regulatory-failure angle, without disclosing that ownership in the piece itself[6]. CIDRAP, an academic outbreak tracker, stuck closest to the case numbers and sprout biology, with little editorial framing beyond noting this was "another" sprout recall[8].
Overseas coverage was thin. No major non-U.S. outlet appears to have covered the outbreak as a public health story; the closest pickup came from a Dutch horticulture trade site, which treated it as supply-chain news for growers and exporters rather than a story about sick people[15].
What's Still Open
The number that won't move again is 22 — the confirmed case count as of September 9, covering illnesses that had already run their course by late August[1]. What's still unresolved is the question underneath it: how the contamination got into Evergreen's sprouts in the first place. FDA says that investigation is ongoing, and until it produces an answer, both the company's defense and its critics' case rest on the same unfinished record[2]. Plaintiff firms, including Marler's, are already signing up clients for lawsuits tied to the outbreak, a step that typically moves faster than a federal contamination investigation[18].
Summary
Federal and state health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella tied to broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho[1][2]. As of Sept. 9, 2026, 22 people had been confirmed sick in four states: Washington (16), Montana (4), Idaho (1) and Utah (1). Two were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported[1][16]. The people got sick between July 7 and Aug. 26, 2026 — so the known illnesses all began before the recall[1]. Investigators interviewed 19 of them. All 19 said they had eaten sprouts, and 17 of the 19 — 89% — named broccoli sprouts specifically[2].
The company recalled its broccoli sprouts on Sept. 4, 2026[2][3]. The trigger was a broccoli sprout sample that Montana state officials collected from a sick person's home, which matched the outbreak strain, combined with a separate positive Salmonella result from a third-party laboratory on in-date product, per FDA's recall notice[2][10]. The recall covers 215 cases — six 4-ounce bags to a case, or about 1,290 bags — with expiration dates of 9/7, 9/9, 9/11, 9/14 and 9/16[3]. Those sprouts went to grocery stores, food co-ops, restaurants and food-service buyers in three states: Idaho, Montana and Washington. FDA says the product may have moved beyond those states[2][3].
The facts above are not in dispute. The argument is about the response. Food-safety lawyer Bill Marler notes that Evergreen has been tied to three outbreaks since 2011 — a 2011 Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that sickened 25 people in five states and a 2014 E. coli O121 outbreak that sickened 19 in six states — and says FDA, which has been able to order a recall since 2011, has never done so here[9][18]. He also points out that the sample that matched the outbreak strain came out of a sick person's refrigerator in Montana, not from the plant, and that before Sept. 4 there was no recall, no official distribution list, and Montana sanitarians were calling stores one by one to pull product[10][9]. FDA's position is that it acted on the evidence it had: traceback pointed at Evergreen as the common grower, the firm then recalled voluntarily, and the agency's investigation into how the sprouts became contaminated is still open[2]. Evergreen has not issued a public statement beyond the recall notice.
One detail worth holding onto: sprouts are an unusual food-safety problem, and both sides know it. Seeds are sprouted in warm, wet conditions for days. Those are also close to ideal conditions for growing bacteria. A few germs on a seed can multiply into a dangerous dose by the time the sprouts reach a clamshell[8]. That is why sprouts have their own federal rule and why they keep showing up in outbreak counts — and it is also why the industry argues that an outbreak does not by itself prove a grower was careless.
The Event
CDC, FDA and health departments in Idaho, Montana, Utah and Washington are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections linked to broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho[1][2]. As of Sept. 9, 2026, agencies reported 22 confirmed cases, two hospitalizations and no deaths, with illness onsets from July 7 to Aug. 26, 2026[1][4]. On Sept. 4, 2026, the company recalled 215 cases of broccoli sprouts after a sample linked to a Montana patient matched the outbreak strain and a third-party lab reported a separate positive Salmonella result on in-date product, per FDA's recall notice[2][3]. FDA posted the recall notice publicly on Sept. 10 and says its investigation into the source of the contamination is ongoing[2][3].
Undisputed Facts
- As of Sept. 9, 2026, 22 people infected with the outbreak strain had been reported from four states: Washington 16, Montana 4, Idaho 1 and Utah 1[1][16].
- Two people were hospitalized and no deaths were reported[1][2].
- Illnesses began between July 7, 2026, and Aug. 26, 2026 — all before the Sept. 4 recall[1][17].
- Of 19 sick people interviewed, all 19 reported eating sprouts and 17 (89%) reported eating broccoli sprouts[2].
- Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho, began a recall on Sept. 4, 2026, covering 215 cases of broccoli sprouts (six 4-ounce bags per case) with expiration dates of 9/7, 9/9, 9/11, 9/14 and 9/16[3][2].
- Montana state officials collected a sample from a sick person's home that matched the outbreak strain, and FDA's recall notice cites a separate positive Salmonella result from a third-party laboratory on in-date product — not a sample taken inside the Evergreen facility[2][10].
- The sprouts were distributed to grocery stores, food co-ops, restaurants and food-service customers in Idaho, Montana and Washington, and FDA says product may have reached other states[2][3].
- Evergreen has been linked to two earlier outbreaks: Salmonella Enteritidis in 2011 (25 sick in five states) and E. coli O121 in 2014 (19 sick in six states)[9][6].
The Pressure
Strip away the moralizing and blame. What structural realities persist regardless of which narrative wins?
- Voluntary recalls are faster than forced ones
- FDA can order a recall but almost never does, because a contested order takes time while a voluntary recall moves product in days. That preference is structural, not case-specific — and it is exactly what critics point at when a firm recalls repeatedly and keeps operating[9][2].
- Outbreak counts always lag the outbreak
- A person gets sick, sees a doctor, gives a sample, the lab cultures it, then sequences it, then reports it. That chain runs weeks. So the 22-case figure as of Sept. 9 describes illnesses that began by Aug. 26, and CDC routinely notes that confirmed counts undercount real infections because most people with Salmonella never get tested[1][17].
- Sprouts amplify small contamination
- Seeds sit in warm water and humid air for days to germinate. Those same conditions grow bacteria. A handful of germs on a seed lot can become an infectious dose in the finished product — which is why sprouts get a dedicated federal rule and why they recur in outbreak data regardless of who grows them[8].
- Litigation follows the named grower
- Once an agency names a company, plaintiff firms have a ready-made causation case. Marler Clark was advertising Evergreen lawsuits while the FDA investigation was still open[18].
Material realityA small Idaho sprout operation shipped about 1,290 four-ounce bags of broccoli sprouts into three states, and at least 22 people in four states got sick with the same strain of Salmonella between July 7 and Aug. 26, 2026[1][3]. Two went to the hospital; nobody died[1]. The product is off shelves. The contamination point is still unidentified: the only reported positive sample came from a patient's refrigerator in Montana, not from the plant[2][10]. Evergreen has now been publicly tied to three outbreaks in fifteen years, totaling roughly 60 reported illnesses, without FDA ever using its mandatory recall power on the firm[9]. Those two facts — a documented repeat record and no forced action — are the durable ones, and they will still be true after the case count stops moving.
Narrative as a weaponThree parties are shaping how this reads. Federal and state agencies want you to see a working system: cluster detected, food identified, grower named, product pulled, investigation continuing. Consumer-service outlets — Fox Business, Newsweek, The Epoch Times — want you to check your refrigerator, and their framing stops at the expiration dates. Bill Marler and Food Safety News, which he funds, want you to see fifteen years of a regulator declining to use a power Congress gave it, and they supply the specific evidence for that case: the 2014 inspection findings, the 'Voluntary Action Indicated' classifications, and the fact that the decisive sample came from a victim's kitchen. Evergreen itself has said almost nothing, which leaves the strongest version of its defense — that no facility sample has tested positive and that contaminated seed can defeat a clean plant — to be assembled from the agency record rather than from the company.
How Each Side Sees It
Each major actor’s view — how it frames things, its underlying incentive, and how it’s materially affected. Tap a side to read it.
Frames it asOfficials say the system worked the way it is designed to. Health departments in several states spotted a cluster of people carrying the same genetic fingerprint of Salmonella — that is what 'the outbreak strain' means. Labs sequence the bacteria's full genome, and near-identical results mean the cases almost certainly share one source[1]. Interviews then pointed hard at one food: 17 of 19 people named broccoli sprouts[2]. Traceback — following invoices and shipping records backward from where each person shopped — landed on a single common grower[2]. FDA's position is that it named the company, got the product off shelves, and told the public what to throw out, while the harder question of how the contamination happened stays open[2].
WhyAgencies want to stop more illnesses fast without making a public accusation the evidence cannot yet carry. A voluntary recall moves product off shelves in days; a forced recall or a facility finding invites a legal fight[2][3].
Impact on themFDA's credibility on produce safety is the thing on the line. The agency keeps a dedicated sprout rule and an outbreak page, so repeat outbreaks at a firm it has inspected since 2010 become a recurring question about its enforcement choices[9][2].
Frames it asThe company has not made public arguments beyond its recall notice, but the strongest case a grower in this position makes is this: it recalled voluntarily, and it did so fast — on Sept. 4, the same window in which Montana's test came back[3][2]. No sample from inside its facility has been reported positive[2][10]. Sprouting is done in warm, humid conditions for days because that is how a seed germinates; if contamination rides in on the seed lot from a supplier, even a clean plant can ship contaminated sprouts[8]. On that reading, an outbreak is evidence about the seed and the food, not proof of a dirty operation.
WhySurvival. A 215-case recall is small, but a named multistate outbreak is the kind of event that ends a small grower's contracts with co-ops and restaurants[3][6].
Impact on themEvergreen is now publicly named in its third outbreak since 2011[9]. Plaintiff firms are already advertising lawsuits tied to this outbreak[18]. Its customers in three states have been told by FDA to stop selling the product[2].
Frames it asTheir case is about the gap between knowing and acting. Congress gave FDA the power to order a recall in January 2011, months before the first Evergreen outbreak, and that power has never been used on this firm[9]. Before Sept. 4, there was no recall — and with no recall there is no confirmed distribution list and no entry in FDA's enforcement reports, so Montana sanitarians were calling stores individually to get sprouts pulled[9][10]. The positive sample came from a sick person's refrigerator, not from the plant — which they read as the regulator learning about contamination from the victim rather than the producer[10]. They also point to a documented inspection record: a 2014 FDA inspection reported condensate and water dripping from rusty valves, a corroded watering system, scratched and frayed tennis rackets used to scoop sprouts, and a corroded pitchfork used to move them[9]. Most inspections since 2011 were classified 'Voluntary Action Indicated' — FDA's mildest outcome, meaning the agency found problems it wanted fixed but left the firm to fix them itself, with no order and no follow-up penalty[9].
WhyMarler Clark, the loudest voice here, both advocates for tougher enforcement and sues food companies for a living — including, now, over this outbreak[18]. The advocacy and the business model point the same direction.
Impact on themA firm with a documented repeat record is the strongest possible case for expanding mandatory recall use, so this outbreak is useful to them well beyond its 22 cases[9][18].
Frames it asThe industry's argument is that sprouts already carry more rules than nearly any other raw produce, and that the biology is the problem, not neglect. Under FDA's sprout rules, growers must treat seeds, test the water the sprouts grow in for pathogens before each batch reaches consumers, and hold product pending results. Their point: those controls catch a great deal, but no test on a sample proves the rest of the lot is clean, because contamination on seeds is patchy. They also argue that a recall of 215 cases — about 1,290 four-ounce bags — shows a small-scale operation, not an industrial one, and that headlines saying an outbreak 'spreads' describe case reports arriving late, not new people getting sick[3][11].
WhySprout demand collapses after every named outbreak, and the damage lands on growers who were not involved.
Impact on themRetailers and co-ops in Idaho, Montana and Washington had to pull product on FDA's advice, and FDA's warning that distribution may have gone further widens who has to check stock[2][3].
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The Bias Ledger average rating 3.7
The same story, as framed by outlets across the spectrum, ordered least to most biased. The bias score (1 = straight, 10 = heavily spun) is an AI assessment of that framing — click an outlet to see its track record. The tell is the word choice or omission that reveals the angle.
| Outlet | Vantage | Bias | How they frame it | The tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIDRAP | U.S. academic (University of Minnesota infectious-disease center) | 2 | "New Salmonella outbreak spurs another sprout recall" — clinical, epidemiology-first. | The word "another" carries the only editorial weight; otherwise it sticks to case counts and sprout-specific risk mechanics with little narrative. |
| Fox Business | U.S. right | 3 | "Broccoli sprouts recall linked to salmonella outbreak in 3 states" — a consumer-service piece focused on what to discard. | The headline uses the three-state distribution footprint while the illness count covers four states, including a Utah case; a reader in Utah could reasonably conclude the story does not apply to them. No regulatory or enforcement angle appears. |
| The Epoch Times | U.S. right; affiliated with the Falun Gong movement | 3 | "New Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Broccoli Sprouts: FDA" — attributed to the agency, recall-facts only. | Attribution in the headline keeps it clean, but the piece is essentially a rewrite of the FDA notice with no company history and no independent reporting. |
| HortiDaily | Dutch horticulture trade publication | 3 | "U.S. broccoli sprout recall linked to 22 Salmonella cases" — written for growers and exporters. | Frames a public-health event as a produce-sector supply item; the sick people are a number, the recall logistics are the story. |
| Newsweek | U.S. center | 4 | "Broccoli Sprouts Recall As Salmonella Outbreak Spreads to Four States" — organized around a state map. | "Spreads" implies ongoing transmission. The newest reported illness onset is Aug. 26, before the recall; the four-state figure reflects lab reports catching up, not new spread. |
| Food Safety News | U.S. trade press; founded and funded by plaintiff food-safety firm Marler Clark | 4 | "Idaho company recalls sprouts linked to Salmonella outbreak" — detailed, accurate, with heavy emphasis on the firm's prior outbreaks. | Its reporting is reliable on the record but selects for the regulatory-failure thread, and its ownership by a law firm that sues food companies is rarely disclosed in the piece itself. |
| Marler Blog (Opinion) | U.S. plaintiff-attorney advocacy | 7 | "...Sixteen People... Are Now Sick with Salmonella from Its Broccoli Sprouts, and There Is No Recall" and, later, "The Sample That Produced the Recall Came Out of a Patient's Refrigerator in Montana." | States causation flatly — "sick from its broccoli sprouts" — while FDA still calls the contamination source under investigation. It is also the only outlet surfacing the 2014 inspection details and the unused mandatory-recall power, so it adds record other coverage omits. |
References
- Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Broccoli Sprouts — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. federal public health agency
- Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Sprouts (September 2026) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · U.S. federal regulator
- Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC Recalls Broccoli Sprouts Because of Possible Health Risk — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Company-issued recall notice posted by the federal regulator
- 2026 Salmonella Outbreak linked to Broccoli Sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services · U.S. state health agency
- 2026 Salmonella Outbreak linked to Broccoli Sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC — Washington State Department of Health · U.S. state health agency
- Idaho company recalls sprouts linked to Salmonella outbreak — Food Safety News · U.S. trade publication founded and funded by plaintiff food-safety law firm Marler Clark
- Broccoli sprouts recall linked to salmonella outbreak in 3 states — Fox Business · U.S. right-leaning business news
- New Salmonella outbreak spurs another sprout recall — CIDRAP · U.S. academic research center, University of Minnesota
- Evergreen Fresh Sprouts Has Been Linked to Three Outbreaks Since 2011... and There Is No Recall — Marler Blog · Opinion blog of Bill Marler, plaintiff attorney who sues food companies
- Twenty-Two People in Four States Are Sick... The Sample That Produced the Recall Came Out of a Patient's Refrigerator in Montana — Marler Blog · Opinion blog of Bill Marler, plaintiff attorney who sues food companies
- Broccoli Sprouts Recall As Salmonella Outbreak Spreads to Four States — Newsweek · U.S. centrist general-interest news
- FDA investigates Salmonella outbreak linked to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts — Bonner County Daily Bee · Local Idaho newspaper covering the county where the firm operates
- New Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Broccoli Sprouts: FDA — The Epoch Times · U.S. right-leaning outlet affiliated with the Falun Gong movement
- Fresh produce sold by Idaho company recalled for salmonella risks. What to know — East Idaho News · Local Idaho news outlet
- U.S. broccoli sprout recall linked to 22 Salmonella cases — HortiDaily · Dutch horticulture trade publication
- Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Recalled Idaho Broccoli Sprouts Reaches 22 Illnesses in Four States, Including Utah — Medical Daily · U.S. consumer health news site
- When People Got Sick: Salmonella Outbreak, September 2026 — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. federal public health agency
- Evergreen Fresh Sprouts Broccoli Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak Lawsuits — Marler Clark · Plaintiff law firm soliciting clients in this outbreak
- Broccoli florets recalled over salmonella — Global News · Canadian commercial broadcaster