For Americans already weary of a summer marked by recalls and contamination scares, another foodborne illness is making the rounds — this time tied to alfalfa sprouts from a Minnesota grower.
More than 40 people have been sickened in Minnesota and Wisconsin in an outbreak involving both Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), according to state health officials and multiple news reports. The cases add to a growing list of food safety concerns that have already included a large Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers and a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce.
By Friday, Minnesota had confirmed 23 cases, while Wisconsin reported 18, according to ABC News and other outlets. Three people have been hospitalized, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) said.
Rare Dual-Pathogen Outbreak
What makes this outbreak particularly unusual, health officials say, is that it involves not one but two distinct types of bacteria. In addition to Salmonella, the cases include STEC — a strain of E. coli that can lead to more severe digestive complications than other varieties.
“So far we have identified cases with one type of Salmonella and three different types of STEC, and some persons had co-infections (infections caused by two different pathogens),” Carlota Medus, supervisor of the foodborne diseases unit at MDH, told news outlets.
According to a statement released Thursday by MDH, the illnesses have been linked to eating alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota grower, and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores. Health officials are advising consumers to check for alfalfa sprouts from either brand, avoid eating them, and throw them away.
MDH and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) are coordinating with health officials in Wisconsin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other states to identify the source and scope of the contamination, the statement said.
Summer of Foodborne Illness
The sprout outbreak comes at a time when food safety has been thrust into the spotlight. A separate Salmonella outbreak linked to tainted jalapeño peppers has sickened at least 431 people across multiple states, including more than 118 in Minnesota, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Meanwhile, authorities have flagged more than 15,000 cases of cyclosporiasis nationwide — two-thirds of which have been tied to an outbreak involving iceberg lettuce.
In Minnesota alone, more than 50 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported so far this year. But state officials said that number is typical for this time of year and that those cases do not appear connected to the larger national outbreak. Some were related to foods eaten during international travel, officials noted.
The illnesses in the sprout outbreak occurred between July 8 and Aug. 8, health officials said. As the investigation continues, officials expect additional cases to surface as awareness of the outbreak spreads.
Consumers who have purchased alfalfa sprouts from Calco or Everything Sprouts brands are urged to discard them immediately, even if they appear fresh. Restaurants and grocery stores that may have sold the sprouts are also being advised to check their supplies and remove any affected products.
For now, the investigation remains active, with health officials working to determine the exact source of contamination and whether the outbreak could extend beyond the two states.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/health/2026/08/21/33532477another-food-born-illness-sickens-midwesterners-this-time-sprouts-from-minnesota-grower/