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Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World
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International Specialty Supply Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World
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Sprouts in Canada The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued a renewed call
for Americans to avoid fresh alfalfa or other sprouts because of links to yet
another outbreak of foodborne disease. This following dozens of outbreaks of salmonella and E.coli O157:H7 linked to fresh sprouts over the past decade -- outbreaks which have sickened tens of thousands -- and which prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998 to warn people of the risks associated with raw sprouts. But don't expect to hear much from the Canadian government. The latest outbreak, described in a CDC technical report published on Friday, involved a relatively rare strain of salmonella called S. kottbus, which struck 32 individuals in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico in Spring 2001. Investigators identified a single sprout producer as the source of the contaminated sprouts using seeds that had been imported from Australia in November 2000. The CDC was clear on Friday: People, particularly young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems, should avoid eating raw sprouts. Dr. Mark Beatty of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases, was quoted as saying, "The immuno-compromised people could develop shock and die from the infection," although healthy people were at a lower risk for such complications. Beatty was further quoted as saying that last year's outbreak in the four western states revealed a "misconception" that sprouts were a healthy food. At least three of the people involved in the outbreak ate sprouts partly for health reasons. Sprouts present a special food safety challenge because the way they are grown -- high moisture and high temperature -- also happens to be an ideal environment for bacterial growth. Because of continued outbreaks, the sprout industry, regulatory agencies, and the academic community pooled their efforts in the late 1990s to improve the safety of the product, including the implementation of good manufacturing practices, establishing guidelines for safe sprout production and chemical disinfection of seeds prior to sprouting. But are such guidelines actually being followed? And is anyone checking? And in at least one case, it appears that the contamination was actually inside the seed; that is, no mount of care and cleanliness would have made the product safe. So while scientists grapple with complexities of seed contamination, consumers are rightly wondering, are sprouts safe? For many, especially the most vulnerable in our societies, the answer is no. For example, in response to the 2001 outbreak, California Department of Health Services and the California Department of Education recommend that schools stop serving uncooked sprouts to young children. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is actively promoted as the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. And it is. But there are risks, they need to be acknowledged, and they need to be managed. The very characteristic that affords dietary benefit -- fresh -- also creates microbiological risk: Because they are not cooked, anything that comes into contact with fresh fruits and vegetables is a possible source of contamination. Is the water used for irrigation or rinsing clean or is it loaded with pathogens? Do the workers who collect the produce follow strict hygienic practices such as thorough handwashing? Are the vehicles used to transport fresh produce also used to transport live animals that could be sources of microbial contamination? The possibilities are almost endless. The first consumer warning about sprouts was issued by the CDC in 1997. By July 9, 1999, the FDA advised all Americans to be aware of the risks associated with eating raw sprouts. Consumers were informed that they needed to understand that at that time the best way to control the risk was to not eat raw sprouts. Additional consumer advice provided in the advisory included the cooking of sprouts and specifically requesting that raw sprouts not be added to foods at restaurants and delis. The FDA stated that it would monitor the situation and take any further actions required to protect consumers. At the time, several Canadian media accounts depicted the U.S. response as panic, quoting Health Canada officials as saying perhaps some were at risk, but that sprouts were generally a low-risk product. One Canadian organic sprouts producer stated that sprouts was less a worry than all the chemicals farmers put on their crops to fight weed and bugs. Another sprouts grower stated that the risk from sprouts was probably better than risks associated with other foods such as eggs and meats, and, citing an innocent vanity that hopefully disappeared with the outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Walkerton, Ont., that Canadian consumers had nothing to fear since all the sprouts sold in Canada were grown there. A Canadian Food Inspection Agency official stated that consumption of sprouts was just as hazardous as eating several other foods such as unpasteurized apple juice, soft cheeses, raw milk, oysters and undercooked chicken or hamburger, and that raw sprouts were safe for normal healthy adults (we wouldn't recommend any of those foods for children or adults). A year later, due to increasing numbers of illnesses linked to sprouts, the FDA expanded its warning to advise against anyone eating raw sprouts. That advisory still is in effect. Sprouts
that are fully cooked do not seem to cause problems. CFIA issued several health
advisories in 1998 and 1999 but these were advisories against consuming specific
brands of sprouts that were found to be contaminated. Canada has still not
issues a general warning on consumption of raw sprouts in spite of 14 outbreaks
of salmonella and 2 outbreaks of E. coli O157 linked to sprouts since 1995, five
of which were in Canada. CFIA has a fact sheet describing sprout contamination
where they state they are encouraging industry to communicate the health risks
and that public health officials are working with industry representatives to
implement safer growing methods while warning consumers about the risk of eating
uncooked sprouts. The major part of their sprout safety strategy is a sampling
program. The effect has been
minimal. Every government meeting we've attended in the past few
years has featured a standard lunch of sandwiches and salads with prominent
helpings of sprouts. Americans are talking straight to their consumers.
Canadians are being polite. Douglas Powell is scientific director, Katija Blaine is a research assistant and Ben Chapman is a graduate student with the Food Safety Network at the University of Guelph. I Replied to Doug's Article Doug, I have
great respect for you and your efforts to improve food safety through education.
Although many of the facts you write in "Sprouts in Canada" are
accurate, there are critical factual points I must disagree with that lead to an
erroneous conclusion. You
write, "And in at least one case, it appears that the contamination
was actually inside the seed; that is, no mount of care and cleanliness would
have made the product safe." Regardless of the speculation that in
rare instances a pathogen may be harbored within a seed, there is no basis for
stating that "no mount of care and cleanliness would have made the product
safe." Many
sprout growers use a several-pronged approach to insuring their sprouts are
safe. Included in their definition of "care", is to sample
every bag of seed, inspect the seed, and test it for pathogens. If the lot
of seed is contaminated, even slightly, the odds of capture and detection are
astronomical, regardless if the pathogen is in the seed. If the seed
passes inspection and pathogen testing, it is sanitized, using FDA
guidelines. After 48 hours of sprouting, the runoff water is tested for
pathogens. The possibility that salmonella or E.coli 0157:H7 will make it
through screening, sanitation, and post-testing is so unlikely that properly
produced sprouts could be considered the safest produce on the shelf. You
state that, "The major part of their sprout safety strategy is a sampling
program. The effect has been
minimal." This is completely inaccurate. The article
itself points out that there have been, "dozens of outbreaks of salmonella
and E.coli O157:H7 linked to fresh sprouts over the past decade -- outbreaks
which have sickened tens of thousands...” and, "The latest
outbreak ... struck 32 individuals in ... in Spring 2001."
Going from "tens of thousands" to "32 individuals" nearly a
year ago, is more than minimal. You
ask: "Is the water used for irrigation or rinsing clean or is it loaded
with pathogens? Do the workers who collect the produce follow strict hygienic
practices such as thorough handwashing? Are the vehicles used to transport fresh
produce also used to transport live animals that could be sources of microbial
contamination? The possibilities are almost endless." These
are generic questions that should be asked of any food processor. The
sprouting industry, as a whole, is very well educated in food safety
issues. Producers use clean, tested water, have excellent HACCP plans
and GMP's, train their employees well, and maintain a clean facility
and transport equipment. You
quote Dr. Mark Beatty of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases as
saying that "last year's outbreak in the four western states revealed
a "misconception" that sprouts were a healthy food. At least three of
the people involved in the outbreak ate sprouts partly for health reasons." Is it
possible that these people aren't the idiots Dr. Beatty makes them out to be?
Sprouts are not a fad food. They
have been part of the human diet for thousands of years.
They are an excellent source of nutrients that protect us against various
illnesses. Most of the
phytochemicals found in vegetables originate in the seed. Many
of these phytochemicals are not any higher in a mature vegetable than
in the seed from which it came. A sprout, being an entire plant
in itself, also contains a full allotment of important phytochemicals
that in some instances have proven to prevent disease, such as cancer. The
advantage of eating plants in the sprout stage is that you can eat more
individual sprouts than you can heads of cabbage, for example. There
are approximately 1000 plants per ounce of cabbage sprouts. You
would need to eat many ounces of mature cabbage to consume one plant. This
is why an ounce of sprouts can be1000 times as potent in some phytochemicals
as an ounce of the mature plant. This has been known for years. It
deserves the attention it is now getting but is not the rocket science some
researchers are trying to make it appear. Sprouts
are a good source of saponins, which lowers cholesterol and stimulate the immune
system. They contain highly active
antioxidants that help prevent DNA destruction and retard aging.
They contain plant estrogens which help control PMS symptoms. Young
plants, long known to be loaded with a wide variety nutrients and
phytochemicals, will take on an important role as necessary in our diets. The
sprouting industry has done an excellent job in dealing with what it recognizes
is a serious health issue, while providing high quality products people want and
need. No food is 100% safe. Sprouts are getting closer everyday. Bob
Rust International
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