Alfalfa Sprouts Sicken 55 in U.S. Outbreak, Hospitalizing 4 Across 15 States

Q: Since washing cannot kill the bacteria and restaurants use them unlabelled, how can you truly protect yourself from tainted sprouts?

The safest way to protect yourself is to avoid eating raw sprouts when there is an outbreak warning, and more broadly to treat raw sprouts as a higher-risk food unless they are thoroughly cooked. Health officials say washing does not remove E. coli or salmonella from sprouts because contamination often starts in the seed and the bacteria can multiply throughout the sprouting process in warm, moist conditions. That means rinsing them at home is not a reliable safeguard. Because the recalled alfalfa sprouts were sold to both grocery stores and restaurants, protection depends partly on asking questions. At stores, do not buy or eat alfalfa sprouts sold under the Everything Sprouts or Calco brands, and discard any you have. At restaurants, ask whether sandwiches, salads, bowls or wraps contain raw sprouts, because they may not always be obvious or specifically highlighted. Request that they be left off. If you do eat sprouts, cooking them until they are steaming hot is the safer option, especially for children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with a weakened immune system, who face higher risks from foodborne infections. At home, throw away recalled sprouts and clean and sanitize containers, cutting boards, refrigerator shelves, and other surfaces they touched to avoid cross-contamination. If you develop severe diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, dehydration, or worsening stomach cramps after eating sprouts, seek medical care promptly.

3 articles · Updated · KIRO Seattle · Aug 22

At least 55 people have been sickened by E. coli and Salmonella tied to alfalfa sprouts, with four hospitalized and no deaths reported, the CDC said.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are the hardest-hit states, with 17 to 21 illnesses, in an outbreak stretching across the Midwest and East Coast, with Washington the lone exception.
CDC said the real case count is likely higher because many infected people recover without medical care or testing, and urged consumers to throw out suspect sprouts or return them for refunds.
The outbreak follows FDA and CDC warnings earlier Friday that linked recalled Everything Sprouts and Calco-brand alfalfa sprouts to illnesses in 15 states.