Public health officials have linked broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Idaho to an outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans. As of September 2, at least 16 people in Washington, Montana and Idaho had been sickened, including two people who were hospitalized in Washington. No deaths had been reported, and no recall had been issued.
Health officials are warning consumers not to eat broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts while the investigation continues. According to the Washington State Department of Health outbreak notice, investigators are working to determine the extent of the outbreak and how the sprouts became contaminated.
If you ate Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts and developed diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps or other symptoms of Salmonella infection, seek medical care and ask about testing. A laboratory-confirmed Salmonella infection can help public health officials determine whether your illness may be connected to the outbreak.
If you became seriously ill after eating broccoli sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Pritzker Hageman’s Salmonella lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your illness and legal options. Our firm represents people nationwide who have been seriously sickened in foodborne illness outbreaks.
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Evergreen Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak: What We Know
| Outbreak Detail | Current Information (WA DOH, September 2, 2026) |
| Outbreak pathogen | Salmonella Bovismorbificans |
| Food linked to the outbreak | Broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Idaho |
| Case count | 16 illnesses |
| Hospitalizations | 2 people hospitalized, both in Washington |
| Deaths | No deaths reported |
| Illness onset dates | July 7 through August 18, 2026 |
| States with confirmed cases | Washington (13 illnesses), Montana (2 illnesses) and Idaho (1 illness) |
| Washington counties with confirmed cases | King (4 illnesses), Whatcom (3 illnesses), Spokane (2 illnesses), Skagit (1 illness), Snohomish (1 illness), Walla Walla (1 illness) and Yakima (1 illness) |
| Recall status | No recall has been issued |
| Investigation status | Ongoing. Sprout samples from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts and other suppliers are being tested at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory |
Health officials say the current count may grow as laboratory and epidemiologic work continues.
Eight out of the 12 Washington patients interviewed reported eating sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts before getting sick. Seven specifically reported broccoli sprouts. The official Whatcom County health notice reports three cases outside Washington involving the same outbreak strain of Salmonella, including two in Montana and one in Idaho.
Where Were Evergreen Fresh Sprouts Broccoli Sprouts Sold?
A complete list of stores and restaurants that sold or served Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts has not been released. Health officials have confirmed that the sprouts were sold at grocery stores and served at restaurants, so some people may have eaten them without knowing the brand.
In Washington, health officials identified both grocery store and restaurant exposures but have not published a complete list of locations.
In Montana, both people sickened in the outbreak reported buying broccoli sprouts at grocery stores. Health officials have been contacting stores known to have sold the sprouts and said additional cases may be identified as laboratory testing continues.
If you became sick after eating broccoli sprouts at a restaurant, tell your health department where and when you ate them. Even if you do not know the brand, investigators may be able to use restaurant and distributor records to determine whether the sprouts came from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts.
No Recall Has Been Issued. What Should Consumers Do?
No recall had been issued as of September 2, 2026, but health officials are still warning consumers not to eat Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts and asking stores and restaurants not to sell or serve them.
If you still have Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts, do not eat them. Return them to the store or throw them away where people and animals cannot get to them. Wash and sanitize any containers, refrigerator surfaces or other areas the sprouts touched. Rinsing the sprouts does not make them safe to eat.
The fact that there is no recall does not mean no one can be held responsible for illnesses linked to the sprouts. A recall is separate from the question of legal responsibility, which depends on the evidence and what the outbreak investigation shows.
Why Are Raw Sprouts So Often Linked to Salmonella and E. coli Outbreaks?
Raw sprouts are especially vulnerable to bacterial contamination because the same warm, moist conditions that help seeds sprout also help bacteria grow. The FDA explains that even a small amount of contamination on or inside a seed can multiply rapidly during sprouting. This is one reason raw sprouts are repeatedly linked to E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria outbreaks.
Because sprouts carry a higher food safety risk, the FDA Produce Safety Rule includes requirements specifically for sprout growers. These include steps to reduce contamination of seeds and beans used for sprouting, treat seeds before sprouting and test spent irrigation water or sprouts from each production batch for certain pathogens.
When a sprout outbreak occurs, investigators may look at the seed lot, water, equipment, sanitation practices, growing environment and distribution records to determine where contamination happened. In the Evergreen Fresh Sprouts outbreak, health officials have not yet identified how the broccoli sprouts became contaminated.
Pritzker Hageman Has Investigated Sprout Outbreaks Before
The Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts outbreak is one of two major sprout outbreaks under investigation in 2026. It is separate from the Everything Sprouts and Calco alfalfa sprouts outbreak, which involves a different grower, different sprouts and different outbreak strains.
The Evergreen Fresh Sprouts outbreak is linked to broccoli sprouts and Salmonella Bovismorbificans. The Everything Sprouts outbreak involves alfalfa sprouts, Salmonella Agona and multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
Evergreen Fresh Sprouts also has a history of outbreaks involving raw sprouts. The company was linked to a Salmonella outbreak involving alfalfa and spicy sprouts in 2011 and an E. coli outbreak involving raw clover sprouts in 2014. Those were separate outbreaks and do not establish what caused the current broccoli sprouts outbreak.
Past outbreaks and regulatory findings can still provide important context in a foodborne illness investigation or lawsuit. They may help show what food safety risks were known, what steps were taken to address them and whether that history is relevant to the current outbreak.
2014 E. coli O121 Outbreak Linked to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts Clover Sprouts
In 2014, raw clover sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts were linked to an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121. The outbreak sickened 19 people in six states. Forty-four percent of patients with available information were hospitalized. No deaths or cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome were reported.
The 2014 Evergreen Fresh Sprouts E. coli O121 outbreak prompted an FDA inspection of the company’s sprout-growing facility. During the inspection, FDA investigators documented unsanitary conditions, including rusty or corroded equipment and water or condensation dripping in sprout-growing areas. CDC later reported that Evergreen Fresh Sprouts stopped using the seed lot linked to the outbreak.
2011 Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak Linked to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts
In 2011, the CDC linked a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts alfalfa and spicy sprouts. The outbreak sickened 25 people in Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota and Washington. Of the 10 patients with available hospitalization information, three were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
Evergreen Fresh Sprouts recalled certain lots of alfalfa and spicy sprouts on July 1, 2011.
Can I Sue for Salmonella Food Poisoning?
Yes. People diagnosed with Salmonella can pursue compensation when evidence links their illness to contaminated food. A Salmonella claim may be brought against companies that produced, processed, distributed, sold or served the food that caused the infection.
Evidence in a Salmonella lawsuit can include laboratory testing, medical records, public health investigation findings, purchase records, restaurant receipts and supply-chain records.
A Salmonella lawsuit can seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by a serious Salmonella infection. The companies that may be legally responsible and the types of claims available depend on the evidence and the law that applies to the case.
Salmonella Symptoms and Complications Can Become Serious
Salmonella symptoms usually include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms typically begin 6 hours to 6 days after infection. Severe symptoms can include bloody diarrhea, persistent vomiting, dehydration or a high fever.
Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop serious Salmonella infections. In severe cases, Salmonella can spread beyond the intestines and cause infections in the bloodstream or other parts of the body. These infections may require hospitalization and additional treatment.
Salmonella can also cause reactive arthritis after a foodborne illness. Symptoms can include joint pain, eye irritation and painful urination that begin after the original diarrhea or fever has improved.
What to Do if You Ate Evergreen Fresh Sprouts Broccoli Sprouts
- Seek medical care if you have severe symptoms. Ask your healthcare provider about Salmonella testing, especially if you have bloody diarrhea, a fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit, persistent vomiting or diarrhea, signs of dehydration, or symptoms severe enough to require emergency care.
- Do not eat Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts. Return or throw away any remaining sprouts and clean and sanitize containers, refrigerator surfaces or other areas they touched.
- Report your illness to your health department. In Washington, use the Foodborne Illness Notification System or contact your local health department. In Montana and Idaho, contact your local or state health department. Reports help investigators identify additional outbreak cases and determine where contaminated food was sold or served.
- Save information about where and when you ate the sprouts. Write down the store or restaurant, date of purchase or meal, what you ate, when your symptoms started and where you received medical care. Keep receipts, packaging, delivery-app records or purchase history if you have them.
- If you were seriously sickened, talk with an experienced Salmonella lawyer about whether your illness may be connected to the outbreak and what legal options may be available.
Talk to a Food Safety Lawyer About a Serious Salmonella Infection
Pritzker Hageman represents people across the United States who have been seriously sickened in foodborne outbreaks, along with families who have lost loved ones. Our food safety lawyers have handled cases involving Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and other pathogens, including outbreaks linked to sprouts sold through restaurants and grocery stores.
If you or a family member became sick after eating broccoli sprouts, contact our food safety legal team for a free consultation. We can review what happened, your medical history and the outbreak evidence to determine whether you may have a claim.
Call 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or contact us online. There is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Contact Eric today and find out how you can get compensation and justice
1-888-377-8900 (Toll-Free) | [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions About the Evergreen Fresh Sprouts Outbreak
Health officials have linked the outbreak to broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Idaho. Of the Washington patients interviewed, seven reported eating Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts before becoming sick.
As of September 2, 2026, 16 people had been sickened, including 13 in Washington, two in Montana and one in Idaho. Two people in Washington were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. The investigation is ongoing, so the case count may change.
No recall had been issued for Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts. Health officials were still warning consumers not to eat the sprouts and asking stores and restaurants not to sell or serve them. The absence of a recall does not mean the sprouts are considered safe and does not determine whether a company may be legally responsible for an illness.
Health officials have not released a complete list of stores and restaurants that sold or served Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts. The sprouts were sold at grocery stores and served at restaurants in Washington, and both Montana patients reported buying broccoli sprouts at grocery stores.
No. The Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts outbreak and the Everything Sprouts alfalfa sprouts outbreak are separate investigations involving different companies, products and pathogens. The Evergreen Fresh Sprouts outbreak involves Salmonella Bovismorbificans and broccoli sprouts. The 2026 Everything Sprouts and Calco alfalfa sprouts outbreak involves Salmonella Agona and multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
Yes. People diagnosed with Salmonella can pursue compensation when evidence links their illness to contaminated food. A Salmonella lawsuit can seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by a serious Salmonella infection.
You can still report your illness even if you do not know the brand of sprouts. Tell health officials the restaurant name, location, date of your meal and what you ordered. Investigators may be able to use restaurant and supplier records to determine where the sprouts came from.
A positive Salmonella test is important evidence in a food poisoning case because it confirms the infection and may allow public health laboratories to compare the bacteria with an outbreak strain. Without laboratory testing, it can be more difficult to prove that Salmonella caused the illness.
The deadline for filing a Salmonella lawsuit depends on the state and the facts of the case. Different deadlines may apply depending on where the exposure occurred and which companies may be responsible. Anyone considering a claim should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible rather than waiting for the outbreak investigation to end.
Pritzker Hageman offers free consultations for people seriously sickened by foodborne illness. The firm handles Salmonella cases on a contingency-fee basis, which means there are no attorney fees unless there is a recovery.
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