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Raw sprouts, such as alfalfa, mung bean, and radish sprouts, can be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria, which can cause serious food poisoning. The bacteria can come from contaminated seeds, manure, or machinery used to process crops. Cooking sprouts is the only way to eliminate the risk of infection. Other potential food poisoning bacteria, such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes, can also be found in raw sprouts. The US FDA recommends that some groups of people avoid eating raw sprouts.
Salmonella bacteria are a group of microbes that can cause serious food poisoning. They are killed by heat and therefore are more dangerous in raw foods. Crispy bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, or any other form of sprouts can commonly be served raw rather than cooked. Sprouts and Salmonella are associated with problems such as manure from infected animals on crops or from contaminated machinery used to process crops.
Sprouts and Salmonella are closely related in many countries of the world wherever the sprouts of any plant are eaten raw. Examples of sprouts that have been associated with salmonella food poisoning include alfalfa, mung bean, and radish sprouts. These young plants are grown from seed on germinating farms.
In many cases, the seeds themselves are contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. These seeds may have been contaminated by animal or bird droppings. Agricultural machinery that processes the seeds can also be contaminated. Manure used to fertilize crops or irrigation water that contains the bacteria can also deposit Salmonella on seeds.
Processes that eliminate any contamination on the seeds are available to sprout growers, but can be cost-prohibitive for small sprout farms. These techniques include soaking the seeds in a calcium hypochlorite solution or irradiating the seeds. Organic farms may also reject techniques as contrary to the organic ethos.
Germination farms generally grow seeds indoors kept in warm temperatures with high humidity. These conditions are very suitable for the growth of shoots and Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella infects humans and other animals and therefore prefers to grow at body temperature and in conditions of high water availability, such as exist in the human body. Even if the seeds originally have low bacterial contamination, these can grow and multiply to dangerous levels during the germination process.
The United States Food and Drug Administration recommends that some groups of people avoid eating raw sprouts due to the risk of infection. Susceptible people include the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with immune system problems. Cooking sprouts is the only definitive way to eliminate the risk of infection, although some people may still prefer to eat sprouts raw or lightly cooked for the crunchy texture.
In addition to the connection between sprouts and salmonella, raw sprouts can also harbor potential food poisoning bacteria E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes. While sprouts are a potential source of food poisoning, they’re not the only source. Any food that can come into contact with contaminated fecal material, such as manure, and then go uncooked is a potential source of disease.
