Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain, announced Friday it will stop selling bean and alfalfa sprouts on because of their "potential food safety risk." It joins retail giant Walmart, which quietly stopped selling the sprouts in 2010.
In the past 10 months, there have been many recalls of raw sprouts for bacterial contamination and one large outbreak linked to sprouts in Jimmy John's sandwiches. The CDC advises many consumers to avoid raw sprouts altogether or to cook them thoroughly before consuming.
"After a thorough, science-based review, we have decided to voluntarily discontinue selling fresh sprouts," said Payton Pruett, Kroger's vice president of food safety. "Testing and sanitizing by the growers and safe food handling by the consumer are the critical steps to protect against food-borne illness.
Pruett went on to say the company would reconsider its policy when new technologies and practices show that farmers can consistently produce sprout seeds that do not internalize pathogens, and when sprout processing environments can be enhanced for safety and cleanliness.
Kroger is not the first retailer to stop selling sprouts. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. stopped selling alfalfa sprouts in 2010 after a multistate salmonella outbreak. Fast-food restaurant chain Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches, which included alfalfa sprouts on several of its menu items, dropped the use of sprouts permanently in February after the chain became associated with a five-state outbreak of a rare E. coli strain - the fifth outbreak involving sprouts traced back to Jimmy John's franchises since 2008.
Raw sprouts are a consistent source of bacterial pathogens. Barfblog has stated that there have been at least 55 sprout-associated outbreaks worldwide, causing 15,233 people to get sick since 1998.
While most people regard raw sprouts as a health food, they are uniquely susceptible to contamination. The way they are grown, in a warm, moist environment, is very conducive to bacterial growth. Dr. Raj Mody, infectious disease epidemiologist at the CDC, states that the sprouted seed is a perfect vehicle for pathogens, it's difficult to grow safe sprouts, and sprouts have caused many foodborne illness outbreaks.
