Updated

Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 22

Everything Sprouts Recalls 5-Ounce Alfalfa Sprouts After 55 Fall Ill in 15 States

Updated

Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 22

Everything Sprouts Recalls 5-Ounce Alfalfa Sprouts After 55 Fall Ill in 15 States

Q: Since washing cannot kill the bacteria and restaurants use them unlabelled, how can you truly protect yourself from tainted sprouts?

The safest way to protect yourself is to avoid eating raw sprouts when there is an outbreak warning, and more broadly to treat raw sprouts as a higher-risk food unless they are thoroughly cooked. Health officials say washing does not remove E. coli or salmonella from sprouts because contamination often starts in the seed and the bacteria can multiply throughout the sprouting process in warm, moist conditions. That means rinsing them at home is not a reliable safeguard. Because the recalled alfalfa sprouts were sold to both grocery stores and restaurants, protection depends partly on asking questions. At stores, do not buy or eat alfalfa sprouts sold under the Everything Sprouts or Calco brands, and discard any you have. At restaurants, ask whether sandwiches, salads, bowls or wraps contain raw sprouts, because they may not always be obvious or specifically highlighted. Request that they be left off. If you do eat sprouts, cooking them until they are steaming hot is the safer option, especially for children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with a weakened immune system, who face higher risks from foodborne infections. At home, throw away recalled sprouts and clean and sanitize containers, cutting boards, refrigerator shelves, and other surfaces they touched to avoid cross-contamination. If you develop severe diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, dehydration, or worsening stomach cramps after eating sprouts, seek medical care promptly.

3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 22

55 people in 15 states have been sickened in an outbreak tied to Everything Sprouts alfalfa sprouts, prompting the Minneapolis company to recall 5-ounce containers distributed since May 27.
46 cases involved E. coli, seven involved salmonella and two involved both infections; at least four people were hospitalized, with illnesses beginning between May 31 and Aug. 8.
FDA and CDC said the sprouts were sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores, and urged consumers and retailers not to eat, serve or keep them.
An Aug. 19 FDA inspection and sample collection preceded the recall recommendation, and the agency had already warned the company last year about serious sanitation problems including roof leaks and black organic buildup on irrigation equipment.