MONDAY, Aug. 20, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- Stay away from sprouts.
That's what health officials from California suggest in a study in tomorrow's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
They came to that conclusion after investigating six outbreaks of food-borne illnesses in that state between 1996 and 1998. The infections involved salmonella and Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and all eventually were linked to eating raw sprouts. The researchers say their investigation showed there was no reliable way to guarantee that sprout seeds were free of bacteria, or that growing conditions for sprouts were completely safe.
"There isn't right now a method of eliminating all the pathogens. There's still the possibility that you can get sick," says lead study author Dr. Janet Mohle-Boetani.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reached the same conclusion in July 1999 when it issued a stern warning to consumers about the dangers of eating sprouts.
"Despite all these efforts to make raw sprouts safer, we continue to receive reports of illnesses associated with raw sprouts. Consumers need to understand that, at this time, the best way to control this risk is not to eat raw sprouts," said the advisory.
Still, Mohle-Boetani says, "I think people just don't know. There have been warnings from the FDA, but I don't think there's a general awareness. I don't think people think of sprouts as a hazard. Physicians and consumers need to be aware that alfalfa and clover sprouts can cause diarrhea and urinary tract infections."
Sprouts, the germinating form of seeds and beans, need only water and warm, moist temperatures to grow. They are ready for harvest within a week. The most common kind is alfalfa sprouts. Often hailed as a health food, sprouts have been linked to numerous outbreaks of food-borne illnesses in the United States and Canada for several years.
The study by California Department of Health Services scientists looked at 600 cases of confirmed disease among more than 22,800 estimated cases of gastrointestinal illness involved in the six outbreaks. At least two deaths from sepsis also were reported by health officials. Five outbreaks involved salmonella and one involved E. coli. Both illnesses cause diarrhea, nausea, cramping and fever. Three growers eventually were implicated, and each appeared to be responsible for two outbreaks.
Although the seeds can be cleaned with a bleach-like solution, researchers found they still are not necessarily free of bacteria. The way sprouts are grown -- in incubator-like conditions -- also breeds bacteria, say the researchers, who also found several violations of safe food practices.
Sprout growers have been working with the government and academia to fix the problem, and one industry association is working to get its 140 members to follow FDA production and testing guidelines.
Many of the estimated 250 growers in the United States now follow those guidelines, says Barbara Sanderson, chairwoman of the sanitation committee of the International Sprout Growers Association. She says the FDA warning is exaggerated.
"There's no food that can give you that 100 percent guarantee," she says. "If a company that grows sprouts is following the guidelines, it's as safe as milk. I'm sure that compliance in the industry is not 100 percent. There may actually be some risk, but things have dramatically improved. Obviously, they're improving all the time in terms of the number of companies following the guidelines."
However, Sanderson adds two caveats: Anyone with a weakened immune system should not eat any kind of raw food. And she says there may never be a cleaning solution that completely wipes out bacteria on sprout seeds because their growing conditions encourage bacteria growth. Foods such as milk are pasteurized to kill bacteria and then refrigerated to keep the bacteria away, she says.
The best way to keep contaminated sprouts from reaching the market is to test the water that irrigates the plants, she says.
Mohle-Boetani says sprouts should not be served where people at risk eat regularly, such as in schools and in nursing homes. More importantly, she says she would like to see restaurants and delis stop automatically putting sprouts on salads and sandwiches. It should be a choice the consumer gets to make, she says.
What To Do
Children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems should avoid raw sprouts altogether, FDA officials say.
Healthy people should follow these guidelines:
- Buy only refrigerated sprouts; avoid dark or slimy sprouts.
- Refrigerate sprouts at home.
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw sprouts, and
- Rinse sprouts thoroughly before eating to remove surface dirt. Do not use soap or other detergents.
The FDA offers this story about sprouts.
Check the International Sprout Growers Association for the industry's perspective.
