Broccoli sprouting seeds sold on Amazon recalled for Salmonella
EAK Distribution has recalled one lot of HOME GROWN broccoli sprouting seeds sold on Amazon after the FDA found Salmonella in the seed. The seed lot also went to a commercial sprout grower tied to a federal outbreak probe. The only open broccoli sprout outbreak has sickened 32 people in six states, so home sprouters should check for lot AUG172026.
A seller has recalled one lot of broccoli sprouting seeds sold to home growers on Amazon after the Food and Drug Administration found Salmonella in a seed sample. EAK Distribution LLC of Casper, Wyoming, sold the HOME GROWN Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli Seeds in 8-ounce packets between Aug. 20 and Sept. 18, food safety lawyer Bill Marler reported in Food Poison Journal, citing the recall notice the FDA posted Oct. 2.
Check the top seal of your packet. The recalled lot is AUG172026, UPC 850056627443. No other size or lot is part of the recall. The company says to stop using the seed, throw it away and contact Amazon for a refund. No illnesses have been reported from the home packets.
The notice says the same seed lot went to a commercial sprout grower whose sprouts are part of an FDA outbreak investigation in several states. It does not name the grower. Only one broccoli sprout Salmonella outbreak is open: the one tied to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts of Moyie Springs, Idaho.
As of the CDC's Sept. 24 update, that outbreak had made 32 people sick in six states. Three were hospitalized and none died. Illnesses began between July 7 and Sept. 3. Of 27 sick people interviewed, 26 said they ate sprouts or microgreens. Officials in Montana and Washington found the outbreak strain in broccoli sprouts. Evergreen recalled 215 cases of sprouts on Sept. 10. The CDC says the true number of sick people is likely much higher, because many never get tested.
Neither the CDC nor the FDA has said on its own pages that the recalled seed is the Evergreen seed, Marler noted.
Why sprouts are risky: seeds can carry germs from the field. Warm, wet sprouting lets a few bacteria grow into millions, in a home jar or a factory. Rinsing does not remove germs inside the seed coat. The FDA has told higher-risk people to avoid raw sprouts since 1998. Cooking sprouts well kills the bacteria.
Salmonella signs, such as diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually start six hours to six days after eating. See a doctor if diarrhea lasts more than three days, if there is blood in the stool, or if you cannot keep liquids down. Young children, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems face the most risk.
What we know: One seed lot is recalled, and the open broccoli sprout outbreak counts 32 sick in six states.
What we don't: Whether federal agencies will confirm the seed as the outbreak source, and whether more lots are involved.
Where outlets agree The CDC and Food Poison Journal both report the Evergreen Fresh Sprouts outbreak has made 32 people sick in six states, with three hospitalized and no deaths.
Where they differ Food Poison Journal links the recalled seed to the Evergreen outbreak based on timing, but neither the CDC nor the FDA has confirmed that link on its own pages.