Infections Associated with Eating Seed Sprouts: An International Concern

Taormina, Peter J.; Beuchat, Larry R.; Slutsker, Laurence

doi:10.3201/eid0505.990503

Cited by 371 publications

(204 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Although, the seeds tested negative for Salmonella in the routine control operations of the producer, testing is probably ineffective, as contamination may be intermittent and low level ( 7 , 11 ). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium DT 104 Antibiotic Resistance Genomic Island I in Serotype Paratyphi B

Meunier¹

2002

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

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In November 2000 in the Netherlands, an outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis phage type 4b was investigated. Eating bean sprouts was the only exposure associated with S. Enteritidis pt 4b infection (matched odds ratio 13.0, 95% confidence interval 2.0-552.5). Contaminated seeds were the most likely cause of contamination of the sprouts. The sprout grower applied a concentration of hypochlorite solution that was too low for seed disinfection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium DT 104 Antibiotic Resistance Genomic Island I in Serotype Paratyphi B

Meunier¹

2002

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

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“…Due to the historical involvement of sprouts in several STEC outbreaks (Como-Sabetti et al, 1997;Breuer et al 2001;Ferguson et al 2005;Michino et al 1999;Taormina et al 1999), they were one important food item group on that list; the other groups were herbs, small leaves, lettuces, onion/leek, and fruit vegetables (e.g., tomatoes).…”

Section: Results During the Stec O104:h4 Outbreak 2011mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace-Back and Trace-Forward Tools DevelopedAd Hocand Used During the STEC O104:H4 Outbreak 2011 in Germany and Generic Concepts for Future Outbreak Situations

Weiser

Gross

Schielke

et al. 2013

Foodborne Pathogens and Disease

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The Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak in Germany in 2011 required the development of appropriate tools in real-time for tracing suspicious foods along the supply chain, namely salad ingredients, sprouts, and seeds. Food commodities consumed at locations identified as most probable site of infection (outbreak clusters) were traced back in order to identify connections between different disease clusters via the supply chain of the foods. A newly developed relational database with integrated consistency and plausibility checks was used to collate these data for further analysis. Connections between suppliers, distributors, and producers were visualized in network graphs and geographic projections. Finally, this trace-back and trace-forward analysis led to the identification of sprouts produced by a horticultural farm in Lower Saxony as vehicle for the pathogen, and a specific lot of fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt as the most likely source of contamination. Network graphs have proven to be a powerful tool for summarizing and communicating complex trade relationships to various stake holders. The present article gives a detailed description of the newly developed tracing tools and recommendations for necessary requirements and improvements for future foodborne outbreak investigations.

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“…A great variety of seed sprouts can be found at present in the market, such as adzuki bean (Phaseolus angularis), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), broccoli (Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis), cress (Lepidium sativum), lentil (Lens culinaris), mung bean (Phaseolus aureus), soybean (Glycine max), white mustard (Sinapis alba), green and yellow pea (Pisum sativum), onion (Allium cepa), radish (Raphanus sativus), rice (Oryza sativa L.), rye (Secale cereale), sesame (Sesamum indicum), sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), although the most popular are alfalfa, soybeans, mung beans and raddish (Taormina et al, 1999). Seed sprouts are usually eaten raw in salads or in sandwiches, and concerns for the safety of these raw foods have increased lately.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%