Have alfalfa sprouts at home? Check Everything Sprouts and Calco after 55-case outbreak

The title is deliberately built around a simple action: have alfalfa sprouts at home? Check the brand and lot. That matches the clearest public-health need. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services tells consumers to check their home for alfalfa sprouts from Calco and Everything Sprouts Brand, not to eat them, and to throw them away.

That is more useful than a passive headline about an investigation. For readers, the important question is immediate: is there a container in the fridge that might be affected?

Because sprouts are often added cold to sandwiches, salads and bowls, they may be eaten without any cooking step. That makes a fast label check especially important.

Wisconsin DHS says the outbreak involves Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections linked to alfalfa sprouts. According to the agency, 55 people in 15 states have become sick with one of the outbreak strains of E. coli and/or Salmonella. Four people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have occurred.

Wisconsin has reported 17 illnesses, including one hospitalization. DHS says it is working with Minnesota health officials, CDC, FDA and other states on the investigation.

These numbers are a snapshot from the public-health update, so the core advice is to follow official recall and outbreak updates if new information appears.

The illnesses have been linked to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands, according to Wisconsin DHS.

The FDA-posted company announcement identifies the recalled brand names as Everything Sprouts and Calco, with the product description Alfalfa Sprouts. The company is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

For consumers, the key is not just the word “sprouts” on a menu or package. The key is to look for the specific brands and lot information connected with this recall.

The FDA-posted recall says the Everything Sprouts and Calco branded alfalfa sprouts are packaged in individual 5 oz plastic containers and bear bar codes 860014523113, 860014523120 and 850079470149.

The alfalfa sprout products subject to the recall include Alfalfa 6/5 oz and Alfalfa 12/6/5 oz packages with lot numbers 222, 223, 225, 226 and 230.

If you find sprouts at home and the packaging is still available, check the brand, product, container size, barcode and lot number before doing anything else.

The recall is not limited to plain alfalfa sprouts. The FDA-posted announcement says the same alfalfa sprouts were also used in Everything Sprouts Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix 5 oz cups and Zesty Garlic Mix cups.

The recalled Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix lots are 222, 223, 226 and 230. The recalled Zesty Garlic Mix lots are 222, 223, 225, 226 and 230.

This matters because a consumer may not think of a sprout mix as “alfalfa sprouts” at first glance. If the product contains sprouts and carries the Everything Sprouts branding, check it carefully.

The FDA recall says the recalled products were distributed by Everything Sprouts from May 27, 2026 to August 21, 2026 to wholesale distributors and grocery stores located in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Wisconsin DHS also says the sprouts were distributed to restaurants and grocery stores. That means the product may have been purchased directly by consumers or served as part of prepared food.

If you ate sprouts recently and are concerned, do not guess based only on memory. Check packaging if you still have it, and contact the place of purchase or your health care provider if you have symptoms or questions.

Wisconsin DHS gives three clear consumer steps: check your home for alfalfa sprouts from Calco and Everything Sprouts Brand, do not eat them and throw them away, and wash items and surfaces that may have touched the affected sprouts using hot soapy water.

The FDA-posted recall similarly tells consumers who may have received affected lots to immediately dispose of them and carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the product may have touched.

Do not try to rinse the sprouts to make them safe. The public-health instruction is disposal, not washing and eating.

Wisconsin DHS says businesses should not sell or serve alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts and should wash and sanitize surfaces that may have come into contact with affected sprouts.

The FDA-posted announcement also tells retailers and distributors who believe they received affected lots to stop selling and distributing them, dispose of the sprouts according to local protocols, and clean and sanitize affected surfaces or containers.

For restaurants, delis and grocery prepared-food departments, this matters because sprouts may be used as a topping or ingredient rather than sold in their original container.

Wisconsin DHS lists diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps as the most common symptoms of Salmonella. Symptoms usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the germ, and most people recover in four to seven days without treatment.

However, DHS notes that some groups, including children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illness that requires medical treatment and hospitalization.

If symptoms are severe, prolonged or worrying, do not wait for a recall article to decide what to do. Contact a health care provider.

For Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Wisconsin DHS describes the most common symptoms as stomach cramps and diarrhea, often with bloody stools, with a low-grade fever or no fever. Symptoms usually start two to five days after swallowing the germ, and most people recover in five to seven days.

DHS also warns that STEC infections can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication involving acute kidney failure and other serious problems.

The FDA-posted recall also says STEC can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

Wisconsin DHS specifically advises calling a health care provider for severe symptoms, including diarrhea with a fever higher than 102°F, diarrhea for more than two days that is not improving, bloody diarrhea, vomiting so severe you cannot keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration such as not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up.

Those symptoms are not meant to diagnose the cause at home. They are warning signs that medical advice is needed.

If you are in a higher-risk group or caring for someone who is, it is especially important to take symptoms seriously.

The alfalfa sprout outbreak has reached 55 illnesses in 15 states, with four hospitalizations and no deaths reported, according to Wisconsin DHS. The illnesses are linked to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts and sold under the Everything Sprouts and Calco brands.

Check 5 oz containers and sprout mixes for the recalled lots. Plain alfalfa sprout lots listed by FDA include 222, 223, 225, 226 and 230; Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix includes 222, 223, 226 and 230; and Zesty Garlic Mix includes 222, 223, 225, 226 and 230.

The safest action is direct: do not eat affected sprouts, throw them away, and wash or sanitize anything they may have touched. For severe symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, high fever, prolonged diarrhea, repeated vomiting or dehydration signs, contact a health care provider.