Alfalfa sprouts linked to food poisoning illnesses in Minnesota and
Wisconsin
[August 21, 2026]
By MIKE STOBBE
NEW YORK (AP) Minnesota health officials are warning consumers not to
eat certain brands of alfalfa sprouts that have been tied to an unusual
outbreak involving different disease-causing bacteria.
Officials say 23 people in Minnesota have become ill with either E. coli
or salmonella infections, with two of them hospitalized.
Three had salmonella, and one of them also had a strain of E. coli
bacteria called STEC O168:H8. Seven other people were sickened with a
different version of E. coli, called STEC O103:H25. Thirteen more had
yet another strain, STEC O26:H11.
Wisconsin investigators have identified another 18 cases of illness tied
to alfalfa sprouts, Minnesota officials said.
The illnesses are being linked to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything
Sprouts, a Minnesota grower, and sold under the Calco and Everything
Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores, Minnesota officials
said.
Minnesota investigators say they are working with Wisconsin and federal
health officials to pinpoint the source and scope of contamination.
Food poisoning outbreaks tend to be defined by one type of germ.
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A microbiologist points out an isolated E. coli growth on an agar
plate at the Washington State Department of Health, Nov. 3, 2015, in
Shoreline, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
 It's very unusual to have two
bugs, said Bill Marler, a Seattle lawyer who has worked on food
safety cases for decades.
But it's not surprising that alfalfa sprouts might be the culprit,
he added. It's easy for the seeds to harbor contaminants, it's
difficult to clean them, and it's easy for contaminants to spread
when they are grown in warm water, Marler said.
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli or STEC can cause stomach cramps
and bloody diarrhea. Infections can lead to hemolytic uremic
syndrome, a severe complication that involves acute kidney failure
and other severe problems.
Salmonella poisoning can cause diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting,
dehydration and stomach cramps.
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