BehindTheMedspeak: FDA to get tough on raw sprouts

Back in 1999 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory regarding eating raw sprouts.

The advisory stated that "Children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems are at high risk of developing serious illness due to foodborne disease. People in high risk categories should not eat raw sprouts."

Last year the FDA issued an updated set of guidelines regarding sprouts.

OK, that was then; what about now?

In April of this year the FDA decided that developing stricter safety standards for sprouts was a top priority.

For your interest, sprouts include mung, alfalfa, clover, broccoli and radish seedlings.

Saran Schaefer Muñoz, in a June 14 article in the Wall Street Journal, noted that since 1996 an estimated 1,636 cases of illness — 40% of all food–borne illness associated with produce — have been attributed to raw or slightly cooked sprouts.

The number has dropped substantially since the 1999 advisory noted above.

Sprouts are a roughly $530 million U.S. industry.

The FDA currently considers them a health risk equal to undercooked beef or eggs.

In both the 2000 and 2005 FDA guidelines, sprouts were the only fruit or vegetable singled out.

Muñoz wrote, "Food researchers say a contaminated sprout, whose bacteria originate from its seed, can contain millions of bacteria. A tainted chicken carcass, in contrast, usually contains around 100."

Here's her article:

FDA Looks at Sprouts For Food-Borne Illness

After long attacking health concerns arising from undercooked meat and raw eggs, the government is now zeroing in on another culprit in the war against food-borne illness: sprouts.

To reduce sickness from E.coli and salmonella, the Food and Drug Administration says that developing stricter safety standards for sprouts -- which include mung, alfalfa, clover, broccoli and radish seedlings -- is a top priority.

Last month, the FDA began asking for public comment on a plan for tougher restrictions on growing these popular additions to sandwiches and salads.

Since 1996, raw or slightly cooked sprouts have caused an estimated 1,636 cases of illness, or 40% of all food-borne illness associated with produce, according to the FDA.

Though the number of cases has dropped substantially since 1999 due to stepped-up decontamination attempts by the industry, federal regulators say the current push is necessary because sprouts -- a favorite among health-food enthusiasts -- still pose a measure of risk to consumers.

Mostly grown by individuals or small farming operations, sprouts are a roughly $530 million U.S. industry.

Often served in Asian dishes or used raw to add crunch to other foods, the antioxidant-rich produce has also been heralded for its cancer-fighting properties.

Despite being high in fiber and free of fat, fresh sprouts were flagged in the government's two latest dietary guidelines as a health risk tantamount to undercooked beef or eggs.

In both years, 2000 and 2005, they were the only fruit or vegetable to be singled out in the guidelines.

Food researchers say a contaminated sprout, whose bacteria originate from its seed, can contain millions of bacteria.

A tainted chicken carcass, in contrast, usually contains around 100.

But ensuring sprout safety has proved elusive for food regulators and the industry itself.

That's because sprouts, compared with other foods, pose some particularly thorny issues.

Eggs and beef, for instance, can be properly refrigerated and cooked to avoid many safety concerns.

Melons and most other produce can be thoroughly washed.

But there's no surefire method of making sprouts germ-free once the seed is contaminated.

Seeds can become contaminated during production and storage if they are exposed to animals or unclean conditions.

Bacteria can grow inside the sprout so they can't be washed off.

"Sprouts are somewhat unique," says researcher Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. "We really don't know of any control measure."

In 1999, after the number of illnesses linked to sprouts spiked, the FDA issued guidelines for the sprout industry that urged producers to chlorinate seeds before they sprout.

Still widely used, chlorination has proved irritating to the skins and respiratory tracts of sprout producers, many of whom run small operations with limited facilities and equipment, says Bob Sanderson, a sprout grower and president of Jonathan's Sprouts Inc., in Rochester, Mass.

Mr. Sanderson also heads the International Sprout Growers Association.

While sprouts may pose a bacterial risk, fans of the food are quick to point out their health benefits.

Sprouts are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A and some types, like radish sprouts, are high in calcium.

Several years ago, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that compounds in broccoli sprouts enhance the body's natural cancer-fighting abilities.

Sprout growers and researchers say they have tried a variety of methods to reduce the bacterial risk at the source: sprout seeds.

They have attempted to irradiate seeds, but the resulting sprout looks withered and unappetizing.

Other methods include soaking seeds in hot water, using ultrasound to "shake" the bacteria off seeds and chlorination.

So far, none are fully reliable, though outbreaks have fallen substantially since the industry implemented voluntary guidelines in 1999.

Yet after five outbreaks in 2003, health officials began considering whether regulations might be needed to ensure sprout safety.

As part of a 2004 plan to make all produce safer, the agency is asking for comments from the public on how to further diminish threats from sprouts.

"Outbreaks have continued and more needs to be done," says Michelle Smith, a scientist in the FDA's office of Plant and Dairy Foods.

Bob Rust, president of International Specialty Supply LLC in Cookeville, Tenn., a seed-supply company, says his company tests a sample from every bag of seeds before it is shipped, and believes all suppliers should do the same.

Whole Foods Market Inc., which usually carries about 10 different types of sprouts, has had a program in place since 2003 to tests sprouts for bacterial contamination, says spokeswoman Ashley Hawkins.

The high-end chain doesn't plan to limit its sprout offerings as a result of the FDA scrutiny.

Mr. Sanderson hopes that the FDA will define a standard for sprouts and leave it up and the sprouting industry to use its own methods to meet the standard.

What he doesn't want to see are mandated warning labels on packages, a measure proposed by some consumer groups.

"That's just like an admission of failure," he says.

Steve Meyerowitz, author of several books about the health benefits of sprouts and who sells supplies to the home-sprouting industry, says that sprouts are still a safe and healthy food.

He says the industry overall makes an effort to keep growing conditions sanitary and to test the seed water for bacteria before sending the sprouts to market.

"But some growers give the whole industry a bad name," he says.