Berlin Seeds recalled alfalfa sprouting seeds due to potential contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella following a CDC-confirmed multistate outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Sept. 23.
The recall affects consumers nationally. Sprouts are a federally identified high-risk food category for pathogen contamination because the warm, humid conditions required for sprouting also promote bacterial growth, according to the FDA.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the multistate outbreak is linked to the recalled alfalfa sprouts. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, known as STEC, can cause severe illness including bloody diarrhea, kidney failure and death, particularly in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Consumers who have purchased Berlin Seeds alfalfa sprouting seeds should not eat them or any sprouts grown from them. The FDA advises consumers to discard the product or return it to the place of purchase.
Retailers that received the affected product should remove it from shelves and inventory immediately. The FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is coordinating the recall response with state health departments in the affected outbreak states.
Alfalfa sprouts have been linked to numerous foodborne illness outbreaks over the past two decades. The FDA has issued repeated advisories warning that children, older adults, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind.
Consumers who have eaten recalled sprouts and are experiencing symptoms — including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea — should contact their health care provider and report their illness to their local health department.