Fresh fruit and vegetable food safety experts focus on sprouts

Sprouted seeds or beans, such as alfalfa; mung bean; pea to name a few, are tender, young plants that deliver on taste and crunch. Like other fruits and vegetables, they contribute to a heathy diet and are important ingredients in cuisines from around the world. Yet, they are not grown or produced like other fruits and vegetables. The growing conditions for sprouts are ideal for the proliferation of foodborne pathogens, including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC); Salmonella spp.; and Listeria monocytogenes.   

As such, a subset of experts from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) convened a meeting in November 2021 that focused on the control of microbiological hazards in sprouts. The expert committee reviewed the scientific evidence related to prevention and control measures specific to the primary production and handling of seeds for sprouting, the production of sprouts and hygienic practices applicable to retail and food services applications. Tong-Jen Fu chaired the expert meeting, and Lawrence Goodridge served as rapporteur. 

The experts acknowledged that for outbreaks of foodborne disease linked to sprouts, the source of contamination most likely originates from the seeds but could also be caused by contaminated production environment. Microbiological contamination due to human and animal activities can be difficult to control in seeds but measures are available, including treatment of the seeds.  As for sprout production, additional measures are required to ensure that irrigation water, workers and production equipment or environment do not result in contamination of the harvested sprout.  A record and traceability program can effectively respond to health risk situations linked to sprouts.  

The scientific advice and expert recommendations generated from this meeting are summarized in the report found here. 

Photo: FAO/Justin Jin