Editing Sprouting (section)

===Bacterial infection===
[[Image:Sprout Warning.jpg|thumb|[[FDA]] [[Warning label|health warning]] on a sprouts package]]

Commercially grown sprouts have been associated with multiple outbreaks of harmful [[bacteria]], including [[salmonella]] and toxic forms of ''[[Escherichia coli]]''.<ref name="NYT 10 June 2011">{{cite news|last=Neuman|first=William|title=The Poster Plant of Health Food Can Pack Disease Risks|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/business/11sprouts.html?ref=global-home&gwh=2954AC55431292D8F5723F90E3DFD672|access-date=11 June 2011|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=10 June 2011}}</ref> Such infections, which are so frequent in the United States that investigators call them "sproutbreaks",<ref name="NYT 10 June 2011" /> may be a result of contaminated seeds or of unhygienic production with high microbial counts.<ref name=moec>{{cite web
  | last = Breuer
  | first = Thomas
  | title = A Multistate Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Alfalfa Sprouts Grown from Contaminated Seeds
  | url = https://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no6/breuer.htm
  | access-date = 19 November 2007 |display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref name=mrmbsv>{{cite journal
  | last1 = Gabriel
  | first1 = Alonzo A.
  | title = Microbiology of retail mung bean sprouts vended in public markets of National Capital Region, Philippines
  | journal = Food Control
  | volume = 18
  | issue = 10
  | pages = 1307–1313
  | year = 2007
  | doi = 10.1016/j.foodcont.2006.09.004
  | last2 = Berja
  | first2 = M
  | last3 = Estrada
  | first3 = A
  | last4 = Lopez
  | first4 = M
  | last5 = Nery
  | first5 = J
  | last6 = Villaflor
  | first6 = E |display-authors=etal}}</ref> Sprout seeds can become contaminated in the fields where they are grown, and sanitizing steps may be unable to kill bacteria hidden in damaged seeds.<ref name="NYT 10 June 2011" /> A single surviving bacterium in a kilogram of seed can be enough to contaminate a whole batch of sprouts, according to the FDA.<ref name="NYT 10 June 2011" />

To minimize the impact of the incidents and maintain public health, both the [[U.S. Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) and [[Health Canada]] issued industry guidance on the safe manufacturing of edible sprouts and public education on their safe consumption.<ref name=ss>{{cite web
  | last = Food and Drug Administration
  | author-link = Food and Drug Administration
  | title = Transcript of Proceedings of Public Meeting on Sprout Safety
  | website = [[Food and Drug Administration]]
 | date = May 17, 2005
  | url = https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/FruitsVegetablesJuices/ucm078701.htm
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090710022507/http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/FruitsVegetablesJuices/ucm078701.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = July 10, 2009
  | access-date = 19 November 2007 }}</ref><ref name=sbas>{{cite web
  | last = Health Canada
  | author-link = Health Canada
  | title = Sprouted Beans and Seeds
  | url = http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/ill-intox/info/sprouts-pousses_e.html
  | access-date = 19 November 2007 | date =2007-01-15
  }}</ref>  There are also publications for hobby farmers on safely growing and consuming sprouts at home.<ref name="gesh">{{cite web|url=https://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3385.PDF|title=Growing Edible Sprouts at Home|last=Harrison|first=H. C.|access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref name=gssh>{{cite web
  | last = Suslow
  | first = Trevor V.
  |author2=Linda J. Harris
   | title = Growing Seed Sprouts at Home
  | url = http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/234-412.pdf
  | access-date = 23 November 2007 }}</ref> The recommendations include development and implementation of [[good agricultural practices]] and [[good manufacturing practices]] in the production and handling of seeds and sprouts, seed disinfection treatments, and microbial testing before the product enters the food supply.

In June 2011, contaminated fenugreek sprouts (grown from seed from Egypt) in Germany was identified as the source of the [[2011 E. coli O104:H4 outbreak]] which German officials had at first wrongly blamed on cucumbers from Spain and then on mung bean sprouts.<ref name="NYT 10 June 2011" /> In addition to Germany, where 3,785 cases and 45 deaths had been reported by the end of the outbreak,<ref>[http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/Lists/ECDC%20Reviews/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=512ff74f-77d4-4ad8-b6d6-bf0f23083f30&ID=1166&RootFolder=%2Fen%2Factivities%2Fsciadvice%2FLists%2FECDC%20Reviews Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC): Update on outbreak in the EU, 27 July 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004233651/http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/Lists/ECDC%20Reviews/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=512ff74f-77d4-4ad8-b6d6-bf0f23083f30&ID=1166&RootFolder=%2Fen%2Factivities%2Fsciadvice%2FLists%2FECDC%20Reviews |date=4 October 2011 }}</ref><ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011">{{Cite news |title=Outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in Germany (22 June 2011, 11:00) |url=http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/Lists/ECDC%20Reviews/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=512ff74f%2D77d4%2D4ad8%2Db6d6%2Dbf0f23083f30&ID=1120&RootFolder=%2Fen%2Factivities%2Fsciadvice%2FLists%2FECDC%20Reviews |work=[[ECDC]] |date=22 June 2011 |access-date=22 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630093610/http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/Lists/ECDC%20Reviews/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=512ff74f-77d4-4ad8-b6d6-bf0f23083f30&ID=1120&RootFolder=%2Fen%2Factivities%2Fsciadvice%2FLists%2FECDC%20Reviews |archive-date=30 June 2011 }}</ref> a handful of cases were reported in several countries including [[Switzerland]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/> [[Poland]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/> the [[Netherlands]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/> [[Sweden]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/> [[Denmark]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/> the [[United Kingdom|UK]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/><ref name="bbc1">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13597080 |title=''E. coli'' cucumber scare: Russia announces import ban |publisher=BBC News Online |date=30 May 2011 |access-date=30 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531111850/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13597080 |archive-date=31 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Canada]],<ref name="ECDC 22 June 2011"/> and the [[United States of America|USA]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43227702 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211224019/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43227702 | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 11, 2020 | title=E. Two in U.S. infected in German ''E. coli'' outbreak  | publisher=NBC News Online | date=31 May 2011 | access-date=2 June 2011 }}</ref> Virtually all affected people had been in Germany shortly before becoming ill.