What is being investigated

US regulators are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections linked to broccoli sprouts and microgreens grown from a contaminated seed lot, and the recall list has grown to four products.

The FDA and the CDC, with state and local partners, are running the investigation. In the October 9 update, 32 people have been reported ill across six states: Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Illnesses started between July 7 and September 3, 2026. Three people were hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

The investigation is ongoing. It is being handled separately from an August 2026 outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella linked to alfalfa sprouts, which is a different product and a different investigation.

How the seed link was confirmed

The traceback explains why several products are affected.

FDA collected and analyzed a seed sample from the seed supplier identified in the investigation. The sample tested positive, and whole genome sequencing showed it matched the same Salmonella Bovismorbificans strain that made people sick. The supplier then recalled the implicated seed lot, identified as lot W4105, and contacted its customers.

That seed lot had been sold on to companies that packaged seeds or grew sprouts for consumers, which is why the recalls arrived in waves rather than as one announcement.

Concept supply-chain diagram with one seed lot branching to three seed packets and a sprout tray under ONE LOT, FOUR RECALLS.
The article's October 9 FDA update lists four downstream products linked to one seed lot. The packaging is illustrative.

The four recalled products

Gardeners Basics Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds, in white and green resealable pouches of 1 pound (454 g), UPC 848137042889, marked "Packed for 2027". The company recalled the bags on October 8 and said sales had stopped. The product was sold nationwide on Amazon, gardenersbasics.com, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay and Etsy.

Eden Brothers calabrese broccoli seeds in packets and in 1-ounce and 1-pound sizes, under Eden Brothers lots 1022067 and 1022068 from supplier lot W4105. They were sold nationwide through edenbrothers.com and Amazon between July 8 and September 28, 2026, and were recalled on October 7.

Home Grown green sprouting calabrese broccoli seeds, 8-ounce heirloom packs sold on Amazon with lot code AUG172026 embossed on the top seal. EAK Distribution recalled them on October 2 after being notified about seed lot W4105.

Broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, which the FDA says are past their expiration date and no longer available for sale. That company recalled its sprouts in early September after state testing found the outbreak strain.

What consumers and retailers should do

The advice is consistent across the notices. Consumers, restaurants and retailers should not use recalled lots of broccoli seeds.

Anyone who bought or received recalled sprouts or seeds should clean and sanitize the surfaces and containers they touched, following FDA food safety guidance, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Gardeners Basics told customers to seal recalled seeds and any sprouts in a bag and discard them, with no return required, and to contact the company for a refund if a purchase has not already been refunded. Its contact route is email at [email protected] or text and voicemail on 801-769-6181, available any time, seven days a week. Live calls are not answered.

The FDA also advises anyone who develops symptoms resembling a Salmonella infection after eating recalled sprouts or handling recalled seeds to contact a health care provider.

What the symptoms look like

Illness usually begins 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food, and symptoms typically last four to seven days. They include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Children under five, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe infections.

What is not yet settled

The case count is a snapshot. The last reported illness onset is September 3, more than a month before the most recent recall, and the FDA says the advisory will be updated if more downstream recalls are initiated.

The investigation has not publicly identified how the seed lot became contaminated, and it has not said whether other products from lot W4105 reached the market under additional brand names. For anyone who bought broccoli sprouting seeds online this summer, the practical step is to check brand, size and lot code against all four recalls rather than assume one product is the whole story.

That supply chain detail is the reason to check twice: a single contaminated seed lot passed through several sellers, and the recalls were issued over more than a month.