Ace Food Desk – Sprout outbreak, FDA Investigation & Latest Recalls By Food Safety News: Published: 21 Sept 2026
It’s Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. A Salmonella outbreak linked to sprouts has prompted a seed recall, while the FDA has released new details from investigations into outbreaks tied to cantaloupe and soft cheese.
We’re also looking at food safety risks in retail delis, new details from a hepatitis A outbreak in Italy, and the debate over California’s approach to labeling ultra-processed foods.
Here are the biggest food safety stories from the past week, along with the latest recalls.
1. Supplier in sprout outbreak recalls seed
The seed supplier for a sprout growing company involved in an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella has agreed to conduct a recall.
The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall on Sept. 15, but did not name the seed supplier. The agency also did not provide any identifying information about the seeds, such as lot numbers. The seed supplier initially refused to conduct a recall.
The supplier sold seeds to Everything Sprouts LLC. The seed lot was also sold directly to other sprout growers and wholesale distributors in Puerto Rico and the U.S. It was also shipped internationally to Canada, Mexico, Tahiti, and Venezuela.
Products from Everything Sprouts have been linked to an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella infections. So far, 55 patients in 15 states have been identified. Four of the patients have required hospitalization, but no deaths have been reported.Read the full story
2. Publisher’s Platform: This FDA official got it right
Food Safety News Publisher Bill Marler examines FDA produce safety director Donna Garren’s response to this year’s Cyclospora outbreak and her call for stronger food safety oversight. Marler highlights Garren’s support for renewed produce testing, greater transparency and data-driven prevention efforts to identify hazards before people get sick.Read the full story
3. FDA releases executive summaries on two outbreak investigations
The FDA has released redacted executive summaries detailing investigations into a Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe from Guatemala and a Listeria outbreak traced to soft ricotta cheese made by Clover Hill Dairy in Maryland. The cantaloupe outbreak sickened 70 people across 25 states, while the Listeria outbreak ultimately involved 15 patients and nine positive product and environmental samples. The FDA also updated patient counts for three other outbreaks involving Salmonella, Listeria and Cyclospora, but their sources remain unknown.Read the full story
“Presumptive positive” should be a value, not an opinion.
So NEMIS published the values.
Hardy Diagnostics is the exclusive U.S. and U.S. territories distributor for the NEMIS N-Light™ system, where a luminometer measures relative light units against a validated threshold and makes the call itself. The positive threshold for E. coli, Salmonella Risk, Listeria spp., and Listeria monocytogenes, plus expected negative and background ranges.
One page, straight from the manufacturer. Worth knowing exactly what a result has to clear before it gets called.Download the threshold table →
4. Details emerge about Italian hepatitis A outbreak
Researchers have shared more details about a hepatitis A outbreak in Italy earlier this year that affected more than 130 people.
Two papers related to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak were presented at the recent national conference of the Italian Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists (AIVI). They were published in the Italian Journal of Food Safety.Read the full story
5. FDA report on food safety in delis stresses personal hygiene
The Food and Drug Administration has released a 54-page report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Retail Food Store Delis.
The report includes findings from data collection from 2019-2022 and is part of the agency’s efforts to reduce foodborne illnesses, which have an annual economic burden of $90.2 billion.Read the full story
Also this week: Ultra-processed food has links to food safety
California lawmakers have unanimously approved a bill that would create certified labels for foods that do not meet the state’s definition of ultra-processed foods, with the measure now awaiting the governor’s decision. The story examines the debate over how ultra-processed foods should be defined, their links to chronic health conditions and food safety, and why supporters and food industry groups disagree over whether labeling will help consumers make healthier choices.
Recent Recalls
- Potato chips recalled because of undeclared soy
- Pasta sold at Walmart stores nationwide recalled because of Listeria
- FDA issues public warning about more products containing toxic yellow oleander
- Frozen raspberries recalled because of norovirus; illnesses reported
- So Delicious frozen dessert product recalled because of foreign objects
- Whole Foods recalls cheese because of undeclared eggs
Stay Informed
That’s it for this week’s Food Safety News roundup. From outbreaks and recalls to new research and regulatory developments, we’ll keep tracking the stories that matter to food safety professionals and consumers.
Thanks for reading, and we hope you have a safe week.
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