Health Hazard Alert in 1997 From Canada Because of Salmonella Meleagridis in Alfalfa Sprouts Health Hazard Alert - Alfalfa Sprouts and Sprout Mixes Containing Alfalfa Sprouts May Contain Salmonella Bacteria Canadian Food Inspection Agency OTTAWA, NOVEMBER 10, 1997 -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume alfalfa sprouts or any mix containing alfalfa sprouts produced by Living Foods, Sunsprout Natural Foods and Sprouts Alive, because the product may contain the Salmonella meleagridis bacteria. Salmonella meleagridis bacteria is responsible for Salmonellosis, a serious illness in humans. Young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Living Foods, a division of Sinnamon Bros. of Camrose, Alta., Living Foods/L. Morrison and Son of Saskatoon, Sask. and Sunsprout Natural Foods and Sprouts Alive Ltd. of Oakville, Ont. are recalling all alfalfa sprouts and sprout mixes containing alfalfa sprouts. The products have been distributed across Canada. A number of cases of salmonellosis have been reported. Food contaminated with Salmonella meleagridis bacteria will not look or

Broccoli Sprouts Join War On Cancer BroccoliSprouts Join War on Cancer TheSunday Telegraph CatherineElsworth 09-28-1997, pp 08. SUPERBROCCOLI, said to have powerful properties which help to prevent cancer, couldsoon be on sale in supermarkets. The new form of the vegetable contains veryhigh concentrations of the compound sulphoraphane, which acts as an anti-canceragent by encouraging the body to attack dangerous chemicals that causemalignancy. Thechance discovery was made after American scientists in Baltimore found thatbroccoli sprouts harvested after just three days contained up to 50 times theconcentration of sulphoraphane as the mature plant. The development was welcomedlast night by British researchers who since 1992, when the protective qualitiesof sulphoraphane were first discovered, have been investigating how theanti-cancer properties of vegetables can be controlled. Resemblingbean sprouts, the new broccoli is grown in laboratories using normal seeds.Although not genetically modified, it contains consistently high concentrationsof the anti-cancer ingredients and has a pleasant, tangy taste. The team behindit believe the broccoli could be on supermarket shelves by next year. PaulTalalay, a professor of pharmacology at the

International Sprout Related Salmonella and Ecoli Infections Salmonella and E.coli Infections: International Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 5, Number 5,September-October 1999 August 20, 1999 Health Canada, Health Protection Branch - Laboratory Centre for Disease Control The Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases has published a review article on salmonella and E. coli infections associated with eating seed sprouts (alfalfa, mung bean, and clover). The world's largest reported outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections, which occurred in Japan in 1996 and rendered 10,000 people ill, was linked to eating white radish sprouts. In late 1995 and early 1996, outbreaks of salmonellosis in Denmark, Oregon and British Columbia, were associated with eating alfalfa sprouts contaminated with Salmonella Newport. In October 1997 in Alberta an outbreak of Salmonella Meleagridis was linked to eating alfalfa sprouts. Researchers have treated both seeds and sprouts with heat or washed them in solutions of chlorine, alcohol, and other chemicals. Some of these disinfectants reduced the levels of bacteria, but a potential hazard remained, especially for persons with weak immune

Hot and Chilled Water Treatments to Inactivate Escherichia Coli O157 Hot and chilled water treatments to inactivate Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in mung bean seeds. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Jun 30, 2008, Poster Session 52-02,Latiful Bari, National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba-City, Japan; Yasuhiro Inatsu, National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba-City, Japan; Seiichi Isobe, National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba-City, Japan; Shinnichi Kawamoto, National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba-City, Japan The majority of the seed sprout related outbreaks have been associated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Therefore, it is necessary to find an effective method to inactivate these organisms on the seeds prior to sprouting. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of various hot water treatments to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella populations on mung beans seeds intended for sprout production and to determine the effect of these treatments followed by dipping in chilled water for 30 sec on seed germination. Mung bean seed inoculated with four-strain cocktails of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were soaked into hot water at 800C and 900C with shaking for various periods of time followed

Inhibition of Activator Protein Inhibition of activator protein-1 by sulforaphane involves interaction with cysteine in the cFos DNA-binding domain: implications for chemoprevention of UVB-induced skin cancer. Cancer Res. 2009 Sep 1;69(17):7103-10. Epub 2009 Aug 11. Dickinson SE, Melton TF, Olson ER, Zhang J, Saboda K, Bowden GT. Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA. Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables that has been linked to decreased risk of certain cancers. Although the role of sulforaphane in the induction of the transcription factor Nrf2 has been studied extensively, there is also evidence that inhibition of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) may contribute to the chemopreventive properties of this compound. In this study, we show for the first time that sulforaphane is effective at reducing the multiplicity and tumor burden of UVB-induced squamous cell carcinoma in a mouse model using cotreatment with the compound and the carcinogen. We also show that sulforaphane pretreatment is able to reduce the activity of AP-1 luciferase in the skin of

Protein Digestibility Protein digestibility (in vitro) of chickpea and blackgram seeds as affected by domestic processing and cooking. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 1989 Jun;39(2):149-54 Jood S, Chauhan BM, Kapoor AC. Department of Foods & Nutrition, Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India. Protein digestibility (in vitro) of grains of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and blackgram (Vigna mungo) cultivars varied from 48 to 53% and 52 to 58%, respectively. Soaking, cooking (both of unsoaked and soaked seeds), autoclaving and sprouting improved significantly the protein digestibility of all the cultivars of chickpea and blackgram. Autoclaving was found to be most effective followed by cooking and sprouting; cooking of sprouts had only marginal effect. Protein digestibility was higher when soaked instead of unsoaked grains were cooked.

Legume Carotenoids Legume carotenoids. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 1987;26(2):137-55 Sri Kantha S, Erdman JW Jr. Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Japan. In recent years, the results of research studies have suggested a positive beneficial relationship between a vegetarian-based diet and low incidence of diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, obesity, dental caries, and osteoporosis. beta-Carotene has specifically been suggested as a nutrient with antitumorigenic properties. In this regard there is a need to evaluate the carotenoid content of foods. Legumes are one of the staple components of a vegetarian diet. This review specifically surveys the prevalence of carotenoids in food and forage legumes. In addition, the methods available for carotenoid analysis are discussed; factors affecting the determination of carotenoid content during maturation, germination, processing and storage are identified; research areas which have been inadequately explored are identified; and suggestions are made for future lines of investigation.

Hulling Equipment As seeds are transformed into sprouts, they shed their hulls (skin). Although the skin is harmless, it is unappealing to consumers and needs to be removed prior to packaging. However, the hulling process is often the place in the production cycle where pathogens are introduced to the product. Consequently, producers need to rely on proper protocols and equipment when removing skin from seeds. ISS offers a line of hulling equipment that can be customized to separate and remove the hulls in any size commercial bean sprout operation. In some instances, ISS hulling equipment can even be used for both green and bean sprouts. Supported by more than three decades of experience in the commercial sprout industry, ISS Hulling Equipment is designed to: Effectively remove the hulls without damaging the sprouts Reduce back injuries Improve the quality of the sprouts by removing root hairs and bacteria Reduce human and plant pathogens Reduce labor Clean up easily and effectively Ensure compliance with your HACCP plan Click to learn more about

State Ordered to Compensate Farmer Over O157 H7 State Ordered to Compensate Farmer over O-157 March 15, 2002 Associated Press OSAKA(Kyodo) --  The Osaka District Court on Friday was cited as ordering thestate to pay 6 million yen in compensation to a radish farmer as governmentannouncements over a food-poisoning case damaged shipments of the product. Thestory says that presiding Judge Hiroshi Muraoka ordered the state to paycompensation to Hajimu Minamino, a radish sprout farmer, saying, "Thegovernment announcements lacked balance and discredited the plaintiff."Minamino, 64, a farmer in Habikino in Osaka Prefecture, had filed a damages suitagainst the state, demanding about 52 million yen in compensation. Foodpoisoning caused by the 0-157 strain of E. coli bacteria, which affected morethan 10,000 people nationwide, was prevalent in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, in July1996 where 9,000 people were stricken and three children died. Thestory says that the ruling was the first of its kind concerning the bacteria toadmit state responsibility. Accordingto the ruling, the former Health and Welfare Ministry announced on severaloccasions in August and September