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Sprouts have long been considered a health
food. But all is not well in the world of sprouts.
Since 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention have investigated 15 outbreaks of
Salmonella species and two outbreaks of E. coli
0157:H7 infections in the United States associated
with raw sprouts. Sprout-associated outbreaks also
have been reported in several other countries,
including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland,
Japan, Denmark and Canada. For example, radish
sprouts were associated in 1996 with the largest
recorded outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infection, in
which 6,000 cases and 17 deaths occurred.
In a case-controlled study reported last fall
in the Annals of Internal Medicine, raw sprouts
were associated with more than half of the
multi-county outbreaks in California from 1996
through 1998. In the report, which investigated
six sprout-associated outbreaks (five from
Salmonella and one from E. coli O157:H7), they
confirmed infections in 600 people (two of whom
died) and estimated that approximately 22,800
people suffered gastrointestinal illness or
urinary tract infections as a result of sprout
consumption.
Since 1999, the sprout industry has initiated
several measures to literally clean up their
sprouting operations. Despite this, a recent
report on an outbreak of Salmonella Kottbus
indicates that raw sprouts continue to be a safety
concern. This outbreak, which occurred last spring
in four states including Colorado, involved
alfalfa sprouts produced at a single facility that
affected 32 patients. Two of the people affected
were immune-compromised and one was a young child.
In each case, people perceived raw sprouts as a
"healthy" food item.
Sprouts may be contaminated during seed
production, germination, sprout processing or
consumer handling and preparation. On the farm,
sprout seeds may become contaminated through the
use of untreated agricultural water, improperly
composted manure such as fertilizer, excretion
from domestic or wild animals, runoff from
domesticated animal production facilities or
improperly cleaned harvesting or processing
machines. The association of specific seed lots
with illness suggests that seeds are the likely
source of many sprout-related outbreaks.
Conditions favorable for seed sprouting also are
ideal for increasing pathogenic bacterial counts
on seeds by as much as 10,000 percent.
Public education efforts about the risks of
eating uncooked sprouts need to be continued,
particularly among vulnerable populations
including the elderly, pregnant women, young
children and immune-compromised people. The CDC
and FDA recommend that people at high risk for
systemic infections not eat raw sprouts. They
further recommend that raw sprouts not be served
in facilities that serve populations at high risk
for food-borne illness, including child care
centers, preschools, kindergartens, assisted
living facilities, nursing homes, long-term care
facilities and hospitals.
For healthy consumers who want to continue to
enjoy raw sprouts, the following tips can help
minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
- Look for the ISGA-certified grower's seal. This seal certifies that
the grower follows the sprout sanitization and growing recommendations
of the International Sprout Growers Association.
-
Pay attention to the sell-by date printed on the package.
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Check to see if the roots are clean. The stems should appear white
or cream in color.
-
Give sprouts the sniff test. Fresh sprouts have a clean, fresh
aroma. - Keep sprouts refrigerated and use within a few days.
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Finally, rinse sprouts thoroughly with clean water before serving.
For more information, contact your local
Colorado State University Extension office.
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Updated Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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