Double Whammy for Ecoli and Salmonella Double Whammy for E. coli and Salmonella Food& Nutrition Research Briefs, July 1999 USDA ARS Treating alfalfa seeds and sprouts with a combination ofirradiation and chlorine effectively safeguards them against E. coliO157:H7 and Salmonella, researchers found. Not only did the dualtreatment kill both organisms, it extended the shelf life of sprouts from aboutfive days to more than a week. This is good news for sprout growers. Since 1995,raw alfalfa sprouts have been recognized as a source of foodborne illness in theUnited States, with several outbreaks of both E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.Since sprouts can't withstand abrasive physical washing because of theirfragility, cleaning the seed has become the primary focus.   Along with irradiation, the researchers subjected alfalfa seeds tothree concentrations of calcium hypochlorite-a chlorine source. A 3-percentweight-per-volume concentration equals about 20,000 parts per million ofavailable chlorine. When the pH is neutral, the 2.5- and 3-percentconcentrations reduced E. coli O157:H7 by 99.99 percent. The pH level isimportant because when the solution is more alkaline, such as pH 10, thechlorine would change to

Differences in Attachment of Salmonella Enterica Serovars and Escherichia Coli O157 H7 to Alfalfa Sprouts Differences in Attachment of Salmonella enterica Serovars and Escherichia coli O157:H7 to Alfalfa Sprouts Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2002, p. 4758-4763, Vol. 68, No. 10 American Society for Microbiology. J. D. Barak,* L. C. Whitehand, and A. O. Charkowski Produce Safety and Microbiological Research, Western Regional Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Albany, California 94710 Received 15 April 2002/ Accepted 4 July 2002 Numerous Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been associated with contaminatedsprouts. We examined how S. enterica serovars, E. coli serotypes, and nonpathogenic bacteria isolated from alfalfa sprouts grow on and adhere to alfalfa sprouts. Growth on and adherence to sprouts were not significantly different among different serovars of S. enterica, but all S. enterica serovars grew on and adhered to alfalfasprouts significantly better than E. coli O157:H7. E. coli O157:H7 was essentially rinsed from alfalfasprouts with repeated washingsteps, while 1 to 2 log CFU of S. enterica remained attachedper sprout. S. entericaNewport adhered to 3-day-oldsprouts as well as Pantoea agglomerans and 10-fold more than Pseudomonas putida and Rahnella aquatilis, whereas the growth rates of all four strains throughout seed sprouting were similar. S. enterica Newport and plant-associated bacteria adhered 10- to 1,000-fold more than E. coli O157:H7; however, three of

Residues of Five Pesticides in Field Residues of five pesticides in field-treated alfalfa seeds and alfalfa sprouts. J Environ Sci Health B. 1985 Aug;20(4):445-56. Archer TE, Gauer WO. Residues of five different pesticides applied to alfalfa seed crops were determined in the harvested seeds and in sprouts grown from these seeds. Although seeds are usually used for future production of alfalfa plants, some of these seeds may be sprouted for human food consumption. The pesticides studied--aldicarb (Temik), chlorothalonil (Bravo), chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), methamidophos (Monitor) and propargite (Comite)--were applied at a normal usage rate and at two to three times that rate. Residues on the seeds and sprouts, if any, were insignificant at rates of application.

Lab Supplies ISS has been a pioneer in the creation of laboratory testing procedures and HACCP plans in the sprout industry. Since in-house labs can save growers thousands of dollars per year, ISS offers lab equipment and supplies in small quantities, saving small or emerging growers the expense of large initial orders. ISS pathogen tests have been selected for both accuracy and ease of use, and are backed by ISS technical support. Lab Equipment Variable Temperature Incubator The ISS Variable Temperature Incubator comes complete with (2) adjustable shelves and thermometer. Featuring steel interior walls, the unit is capable of holding up to (4) shelves. Pathogen Test Kits & Supplies E.coli 0157:H7 Test Kit The ImmunoCard STAT! E-Coli 0157:H7 test is a fast, flexible and accurate test for the detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in food products. Each kit contains 30 tests, positive and negative controls and 40 transfer pipettes. Materials not included are flasks, autoclave, timer, scales, enrichment broth and an incubator. Oxoid Salmonella Rapid Test Kit Accurate and easy

Protective Cultures for Controlling of Microbiological Risks in Sprouting Protective Cultures for Controlling of Microbiological Risks in Sprouting In: Abstracts of the ASM 99th General Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. American Society for Microbiology 1999:522-523. E. SKYTTA1*, A. HAIKARA'.A. SIITONEN2,M. SAARELA1 AND T. MATTILA-SANDHOLM1 'VTT Biotech. Food Res.,Espoo,Finland2 Natl. Publ. Hlth Inst., Helsinki, Finland   Contaminated alfalfa seed lots have been identified as the causative vehicle in a number of sprout-borne Salmonella and EHEC outbreaks. Several disinfection procedures have been recommended for the treatment of seeds intended for sprouting. All these procedures have negative counter effects which can drastically reduce the germination degree of the seeds. A range of LAB strain candidates applicable for protective cultures in sprouting were screened. The LAB strains were either isolated from a production scale sprouting process of Mung bean and Persian clover (Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis), or selected from a culture collection (Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus parvulus, Lactococcus lactis). Antimicrobial activity of the cell free culture filtrates of LAB was tested by automated turbidometry using Salmonella iso­lates from sprout borne outbreaks (Salmonella enterica serovars Java, Bovismorbificans and

Alfalfa Sprouts Connected with Prevention of Menopausal SymptomsOsteoporosis AlfalfaSprouts Connected with Prevention of Menopausal Symptoms Osteoporosis, Cancerand Heart Disease ANews Extract from the Annual Review of Nutrition 17:353-3811997 DietaryPhytoestrogens   ByKurtzer MS,Xu X Studiesin humans, animals and cell culture systems suggest that dietaryphytoestrogens play an important role in prevention of menopausal symptoms,osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. Broadly defined;, phytoestrogens include isoflavones, coumestans, andlignans.  Alfalfa sprouts,soybeans, clover and oilseeds (such as flaxseed) are the most significantdietary sources of isoflavones, coumestans, and lignans, respectively. A number of these compounds have been identified in fruits, vegetablesand whole grains commonly consumed by humans. Althoughthere currently are no dietary recommendations for individual phytoestrogens,there may be great benefit in increased consumption of plant foods; especiallysprouts such as Alfalfa, Clover and Soybean, and flaxseed. Proposed mechanismsinclude estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects, induction of cancer celldifferentiation, inhibition of tyrosine kinase and DNA topoisomerase activities,suppression of angiogenesis, and antioxidant effects.

Radiation Processing for Elimination of Salmonella Typhimurium From Inoculated Seeds Used for Sprout Making in India and Effect of Radiation processing for elimination of Salmonella typhimurium from inoculated seeds used for sprout making in India and effect of irradiation on germination of seeds Journal of Food Protection, Volume 70, Number 8, August 2007 , pp. 1961-1965(5) Saroj, Sunil D.; Hajare, Sachin; Shashidhar, R.; Dhokane, Varsha; Sharma, Arun; Bandekar, Jayant R. The effect of radiation processing on the germination of the sprout seeds mung (Phaseolus aureus), matki (Phaseolus aconitifolius), chana (Cicer arietinum), and vatana (Pisum sativum) in terms of percent germination, germination yield, sprout length, vitamin C content, and texture was investigated. Gradual decreases in the percent germination, germination yield, and sprout length with increases in radiation dose (0.5 to 2.0 kGy) were observed. Vitamin C content and texture remained unaffected for the seeds treated with doses of up to 2 kGy. To determine the efficacy of radiation treatment in elimination of foodborne pathogens, seeds inoculated with 4 log CFU/g of

Reactive Arthritis Following an Outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans Infection From Sprouted Alfalfa Seeds in Norway Reactive arthritis following an outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infection. J Infect. 1998 May;36(3):289-95. Mattila L, Leirisalo-Repo M, Pelkonen P, Koskimies S, Granfors K, Siitonen A. Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. A large, single-source Salmonella outbreak caused by a rare serovar Bovismorbificans (6,8:r:1,5) occurred in southern Finland in 1994. The origin of the outbreak was sprouted alfalfa seeds. A questionnaire was mailed to all 210 subjects with positive stool culture. Ninety-one percent (191/210) returned the questionnaire. One hundred and fifty-three (80%) were adults. One hundred and fifty-nine out of one hundred and ninety-one (83%) reported diarrhoea, 109 (57%) fever, 104 (54%) abdominal pains, 83 (43%) fatigue, 66 (35%) articular symptoms and 20 (10%) had no symptoms. The median duration of diarrhoea was 5 days (range 1-35), that of other symptoms 4 days (range 1-30). Those reporting articular symptoms were examined (51 patients) or contacted by telephone (13 patients). Twelve percent (22/191)