Everything below came straight from FDA.gov, FSIS.usda.gov, and CDC.gov, pulled from the actual notices rather than secondhand coverage.
NewE. Coli Outbreak Tied to Raw Milk Cheese — Most Sick Are Kids 5 and Under
This is the one I'd act on fastest. CDC, FDA, and state officials are investigating an E. coli O26:H11 outbreak tied to Sierra Nevada Cheese Company's "Graziers" raw milk cheese, in multiple varieties. As of September 25: 13 confirmed cases across 9 states, 8 hospitalizations, and 3 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) — the kidney-failure complication that's the most dangerous outcome of an E. coli infection. Over half the patients are 5 years old or younger, with ages ranging 1 to 58 and a median age of just 5. Illness onset dates run from July 7 through August 26, and investigators note the real case count is likely higher than what's been confirmed so far — all 9 people interviewed reported eating the cheese, versus under 5% in general population surveys, which is about as strong an epidemiological link as this kind of investigation gets. These products have a long shelf life, so if you have any Graziers-brand raw milk cheese in your fridge, this is worth checking today, not filing away for later.
NewCinnamon Seasoning Recalled Over Elevated Lead
Galil Importing Corp of Hauppauge, New York recalled its Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning (UPC 794711005484, lot code GAP11304) after testing found the potential for elevated lead levels. No illnesses have been reported, but FDA's own notice is explicit that a child exposed to enough lead for weeks or months can suffer permanent damage to the central nervous system — learning disorders, developmental defects, and other long-term problems that don't necessarily show any symptoms early on. The product was distributed to retail stores, grocery stores, delis, and supermarkets in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, and Illinois between 11/18/2025 and 09/07/2026.
NewRavioli Recalled Over an Undeclared Lobster Allergen
Deano's Pasta of Somerville, MA recalled its Pear and Pecorino Triangoli Ravioli (1 lb. frozen bags, lot codes 090126126, 082526126, 081826126, and 073126126) after discovering the product may contain undeclared lobster — a real risk for anyone with a crustacean shellfish allergy on what's marketed as a cheese-and-pear ravioli. Distribution was limited to Massachusetts retail stores, covering product sold August 10 through September 22, 2026. According to the company, the mix-up traced back to a temporary breakdown in production and packaging, caught after a customer complaint and internal audit. No illnesses reported.
NewA Pest Contaminant Recall for a Popular Peperoncini
G. L. Mezzetta Inc. recalled a single lot of its Golden Greek Peperoncini, Medium Heat (32 oz. jar, lot code 720106) after a video circulating on social media appeared to show a pest contaminant in a jar. The company says this is a limited recall affecting only that specific lot — no other Mezzetta products or lots are included — and has received no reports of illness or injury. Worth knowing this one started from a viral video rather than routine testing, which is a different discovery path than most of what's in these roundups.
NewOrganic Apple Sauce Recalled Over a Mold Toxin
Wakefern Food Corp. voluntarily recalled select containers of Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce (23-oz. plastic jars, UPC 04119005677, best-by June 16, 2027) after routine FDA testing found elevated levels of patulin — a substance produced by mold that grows on damaged or bruised apples. The product was sold through Wakefern's supermarket banners — ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market. No illnesses or injuries have been reported, and no other products at those stores are affected.
NewImported Chicken Stew Recalled — A Paperwork Problem, Not a Contamination Finding
Sempio Food Services Inc. (Cerritos, Calif.) is recalling approximately 4,596 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken stew products imported from the Republic of Korea, because they came in without the benefit of import reinspection — meaning they skipped the USDA checkpoint that verifies imported meat products before they're allowed into U.S. commerce. FSIS's notice doesn't cite a contamination finding or any illnesses; this is a regulatory compliance recall, not a food-safety scare, but it's still an FSIS recall and still means an unreinspected product reached store shelves.
NewA Second, Separate Alfalfa Seed Recall — This One for Home Sprouters
Berlin Seeds of Millersburg, OH is recalling 950 lbs of its Alfalfa Sprouting Seed over potential contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and/or Salmonella. This is not the same seed recall we covered back in Part 6 — that one was International Sprout Holdings Inc.'s commercial seed lot, sold to sprout growers and distributors. Berlin Seeds sells directly to home gardeners and sprouters, through its Millersburg retail store and its own website, and this recall covers product sold from February 13 to August 23, 2026, shipped to customers in 44 states. One illness has been reported directly to the company. If you or anyone in your household sprouts your own alfalfa at home and bought seed from Berlin Seeds this year, check it against lot code SAL2-24JB (found on the 5 lb. and 50 lb. sizes only — the smaller package sizes don't carry a lot code, so if you bought a 1/4 lb., 1/2 lb., or 1 lb. bag in that window, treat it as recalled regardless).
UpdatedThe Broccoli Sprouts Outbreak Just Grew
Back in September we covered Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC's broccoli sprouts recall, tied at the time to 22 illnesses across four states. FDA and CDC's latest joint update puts the outbreak — Salmonella Bovismorbificans, specifically — at 32 illnesses across six states, with three hospitalizations and no deaths. Illness onset dates range from July 7 through September 3, 2026. State officials in Washington tested broccoli sprout samples from both a grocery store and a sick person's home, and whole genome sequencing matched both to the outbreak strain — about as close to a confirmed source as this kind of investigation gets. FDA's guidance remains: do not eat, serve, or sell recalled Evergreen Fresh Sprouts-brand broccoli sprouts. Worth being precise about one thing here: FDA is investigating this separately from the alfalfa sprouts STEC/Salmonella outbreak we've tracked since Part 4 — different bacteria, different product, different case count. Easy to conflate two sprout stories in the same week; they're not the same one.
ClosedA Massive Backyard-Poultry Salmonella Outbreak Just Closed — and It Was Never on This Blog
This one's been running quietly all year, outside the packaged-food recalls this series usually tracks, so it never got its own post here — but CDC's final numbers are big enough to belong in the record. Multiple Salmonella outbreaks tied to backyard poultry — chicks, chickens, ducklings, and Pekin ducks — reached 1,253 illnesses across 46 states and Puerto Rico, with 256 hospitalizations and 2 deaths (one each in Georgia and Washington), before CDC formally closed the investigation on September 24. Seven different Salmonella strains were involved, traced back to 8 hatcheries — none of which CDC named publicly. Of everyone interviewed, 71% reported contact with live poultry, and CDC noted a disproportionate share of cases in kids under 5. If backyard flocks are part of your household, the standing guidance is the same one that applies every spring: wash hands thoroughly after handling birds or anything in their environment, and don't let young kids handle chicks or ducklings unsupervised.
UpdatedFrom FDA's Weekly Outbreak Table
FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table updates weekly, and this week's version shows a few things worth a line each. The Salmonella Newport outbreak with no identified food source is now at 116 illnesses, up from 111 in our last check — still no product named. FDA has closed the books on two older investigations: the E. coli O145:H28 frozen blueberries outbreak we reported as CDC-declared-over back in Part 8 now has a final FDA advisory update (September 21) closing the investigation formally, and a separate Salmonella Typhimurium/Newport/Richmond outbreak linked to Moringa Leaf Powder has also closed. Three separate Cyclospora clusters in FDA's table are also marked as ended by CDC, though FDA's own investigations on those remain formally active. And two brand-new investigations just opened: an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak (tied to a USDA-FSIS investigation) and a new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak — both with traceback just getting underway and no product identified yet. Nothing actionable on either one yet; flagging them here so they're not a surprise if they show up with a name attached in a future part.
↳ That's everything as of today — check the blog for whatever comes next.