If you have ever soaked a jar of broccoli seeds on the kitchen counter, you are in good company. Home sprouting has quietly become a weekend habit for people who want fresh greens on a sandwich without a trip to the store.
That everyday habit is now the center of a nationwide recall. Utah-based Gardeners Basics is pulling its Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds after a bulk supplier lot tested positive for Salmonella.
The seeds are tied to a Salmonella Bovismorbificans outbreak that has sickened at least 32 people in six states, according to Food Safety News.
The product is a one-pound green-and-white resealable pouch. The bag is marked "Packed for 2027." The UPC code is 848137042889. The underlying bulk broccoli seed lot number is W4105.
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If one of those bags is on your shelf, do not plant it, and do not eat any sprouts that came from it.
Where the seeds were sold
Gardeners Basics sold the seeds nationwide through online channels only. That matters because the usual store-shelf check does not help here. The pouches were shipped from Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, eBay, Etsy and the company's own website.
Three people have been hospitalized so far. No deaths have been reported. The last known illness in the outbreak started on September 3, 2026. The sick are spread across Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Sprouts have long been one of the trickier foods on the shelf for public health officials. The warm, damp conditions that make seeds sprout are also ideal for bacteria to multiply, which is why contaminated seeds have been linked to outbreaks before.
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What Salmonella looks like in the days after exposure
Most people who get sick from Salmonella feel it within a day or two, though the window is wider than that. The CDC says symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection. Most people are over it in 4 to 7 days.
The usual pattern is watery diarrhea, stomach cramps that can be severe, and fever. Some people also get headache, nausea or vomiting. Blood or mucus in the stool is possible, and dehydration is the main risk, especially in young children and older adults.
Call a doctor if diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than two days, or if there is blood in the stool. Also seek care if fever climbs above 102 degrees Fahrenheit, or if there are signs of dehydration such as dizziness, dry mouth or very little urine.
If you have a bag of the recalled seeds, throw them out or return them for a refund. Then wash the jar, lids, trays and any surface they touched with hot soapy water before you sprout anything else.
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This article is made and published by Aksel Kryhlmand, who may have used AI in the preparation.