Everything Sprouts Recalls Alfalfa Sprouts After 55 Illnesses 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 · USA TODAY · Aug 22

55 illnesses tied to alfalfa sprouts have been reported across 15 states, prompting Everything Sprouts to recall certain lots over possible E. coli and salmonella contamination.
46 cases involved E. coli, 7 involved salmonella and 2 involved both pathogens; 4 people were hospitalized, with no deaths reported.
The recalled products were distributed from May 27 to Aug. 21 in Minnesota and Wisconsin and include Everything Sprouts and Calco 5-ounce alfalfa sprouts, plus selected mixed-sprout cups.
Minnesota and Wisconsin account for the most cases—21 and 17 respectively—even though illnesses have surfaced as far as Florida, New York and Washington.
Consumers are advised to throw away the sprouts and sanitize any surfaces they touched; officials note outbreaks involving both salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are uncommon and can be especially dangerous for young children, older adults and immunocompromised people.