Berlin Seeds is recalling 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seed after the product was found to have the potential to be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and/or Salmonella, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Millersburg, Ohio, company announced the recall Sept. 23. One illness has been reported directly to Berlin Seeds in connection with the recalled seed.
The recalled seeds were sold at the company’s retail store in Millersburg and through its website from Feb. 13 through Aug. 23, 2026. The product was sold to customers in Tennessee and numerous other states across the country.
The affected product is Berlin Seeds-branded Alfalfa Sprouting Seed sold in 1/4-pound, 1/2-pound, 1-pound, 5-pound and 50-pound packages.
The 1/4-pound, 1/2-pound, 1-pound and 5-pound packages are in resealable bags, while the 50-pound size comes in a non-resealable poly woven bag. The 5-pound and 50-pound packages have lot code SAL2-24JB on the bottom right corner of the label. The smaller packages do not have a lot code.
The recall began after Berlin Seeds was notified by its seed supplier that the affected seeds had been traced to a sprout grower whose finished sprouts were part of an FDA investigation into a multistate foodborne illness outbreak involving multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, including O26:H11, O103:H25 and O168:H8, as well as Salmonella Agona.
The supplier also told Berlin Seeds that a spent irrigation water sample from one of its alfalfa seed lots tested positive for E. coli.
Consumers who may have purchased the recalled seed should stop using it immediately. The seed should not be sprouted, planted or given away. Anyone who has already grown sprouts from the recalled seed should not eat them and should throw them away. The seed should be placed in a sealed bag and discarded. Jars, trays, sprouters and other surfaces that came into contact with the seed or sprouts should also be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
No other Berlin Seeds sprouting seeds are affected by the recall.
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