The FDA continues to keep secret the seed supplier behind an outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections linked to broccoli sprouts and microgreens grown from a contaminated seed lot.
As of Oct. 7, there were 32 confirmed patients spread across six states. Three of the patients have required hospitalization but no deaths have been reported. The most recent patient to become ill had symptom onset on Sept. 3. The sick people live in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from July 7 to Sept. 3, Of the 27 people interviewed as of Sept. 24, 26 reported eating sprouts or microgreens. Twenty-two reported specifically eating broccoli sprouts, and one reported eating a microgreen mix containing broccoli microgreens.
As part of the outbreak investigation, officials in Washington collected and tested samples of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts-brand broccoli sprouts from a local grocery store and a sick person’s home. The sprouts were contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella that is making people sick.
Also, the implicated sprouting seeds, sold to consumers by EAK Distribution of Casper, WY, and Eden Brothers LLC, of Arden, NC, were distributed in Idaho, Montana and Washington, but may have been further distributed, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA has not named the seed supplier, merely saying that the contaminated seeds were “grown from a contaminated seed lot.”
This outbreak is separate from an E. coli and Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts. The FDA also knows the seek supplier in that outbreak, but is not releasing the name of the company.
For the outbreak linked to the seeds sold by by EAK Distribution of Casper, WY, and Eden Brothers LLC, of Arden, NC, the FDA has laboratory-confirmed evidence that the same seed lot is involved.
“As part of this investigation, FDA collected and analyzed a sample of seeds from the seed supplier identified in the investigation. The seed sample tested positive and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis showed that it matched the same Salmonella Bovismorbificans strain that made people sick in this outbreak. As a result, the seed supplier conducted a recall of the implicated seed lot and contacted their customers,” according to an outbreak update from the FDA.
On Oct. 2, EAK Distribution recalled Home Grown brand green sprouting broccoli seeds after they were notified of the recall of seed lot #W4105 by the seed supplier and the link to this outbreak.
On Oct. 7, 2026, Eden Brothers LLC recalled calabrese broccoli seeds in packets and in 1-ounce and 1-pound sizes — Eden Brothers lots 1022067 and 1022068; supplier lot W4105 — after they were notified by their seed supplier that lot #W4105 may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The FDA is continuing to work with the supply chain to determine what other companies may have received seeds from the unnamed company.
There are likely many more sick people than are reflected in the patient count so far. This is because many people do not seek medical treatment and others are not tested for Salmonella infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that for every sick person identified in a Salmonella there are 29 who go undetected.
