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Don’t Eat Raw Alfalfa Sprouts

Fecal bacteria may contaminate alfalfa seed sprouts and present a food safety risk.

August 24, 2010 |
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Don’t Eat Raw Alfalfa Sprouts, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Sources Cited

ADA Public Relations Team.

Samadpour M, Barbour MW, Nguyen T, Cao TM, Buck F, Depavia GA, Mazengia E, Yang P, Alfi D, Lopes M, Stopforth JD. Incidence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli O157, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes in retail fresh ground beef, sprouts, and mushrooms. J Food Prot. 2006 Feb;69(2):441-3.

Acknowledgements

Transcript

What about the quintessential health food, alfalfa sprouts? According to the American Dietetic Association, Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control, no sprouts. There have been a number of serious outbreaks of food poisoning tied to sprouts. Take salmonella for example, last year linked to sprouts there were not one, not two but about 100 cases of salmonella food poisoning which is a gift that can keep on giving. You can get salmonella once and you may suffer from chronic arthritis for the rest of your life. So the CDC has decreed, no sprouts. We should put this in context though, last year sprout consumption led to 100 cases of salmonella poisoning. Compare that to eggs though, which caused 118 thousand of salmonella poisoning last year. Do we hear the CDC saying don't eat eggs? No, but they do say not to eat raw or runny eggs. Even sunny-side up or scrambled does not eliminate the salmonella threat. Eggs have to be cooked hard to kill off the bacteria. Similarly, if we boiled our sprouts they would be safe too but I don't know how appetizing that would be. Disturbing data keeps coming in. How much of the potentially deadly jack-in-the-box e-coli 0157 is found in beef, sprouts and mushrooms? Well, none were found in any mushrooms but one out of every 91 burgers is contaminated and one out of just 67 alfalfa sprout containers so, no burgers, no alfalfa sprouts. Even home grown, the bacteria can get into the nooks and crannies of the alfalfa seed itself that you may buy at the store. 

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. And check out theother videos on sprouts. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos--please feel free to explore them as well!

For more context, check out my associated blog posts: Breast Cancer Stem Cells vs. Broccoli and  Are Microgreens Healthier?

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

    Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. And check out the other videos on sprouts. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos–please feel free to explore them as well!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/beansngreens/ beansngreens

    There was just tiny mention of at home sprouts containing this bacteria in the “nooks and crannies of the seed” itself.
    Would this apply to organically grown seeds? I’ve always sprouted seeds at home, without problems, always organic. If I soak seeds with vinegar added to soaking water, would that not kill the bacteria?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Even soaking seeds in a bleach solution may not guarantee safety. I would encourage you to move to a “nookless” seed like broccoli.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/pasticana/ pasticana

    i sproute alfalfa seeds at home too, is there any trick to be safe? or may be same contamination from time to time is good to our organism to be aware?

    Thank you

  • Lindydio

    I always grow my own alfalfa sprouts

    I soak them for approx 10 minutes in clean water, then
    rinse, add more fresh water and a 1/2 capful of H202 (food grade hydrogen peroxide)
    Let soak ovenight
    Rinse several times a day until ready

  • TexianAmerican

    SHAME ON YOU for Lying to people!!  Thousands of us who have “done our homework” have discovered that the Reason for Existence of federal agencies like FDA and CDC, is to slant the truth to support commercial producers of often toxic, always less than nutritious things that wise people do not even call food. They are there to prop up the business of food processing, regardless of how it harms people – for Money! Furthermore, the administrations of these federal agencies have been caught repeatedly violating the strong negative recommendations of THEIR OWN FOOD CHEMISTS !!!  …saying that neurotoxins like Neotame, Aspartame, and Sucralose are Good for health, when they KNOW Positively that they’re serously harmful. Repent of your part in the Lies that Harm people !!  Do you really believe that you will ultimately “get away with” this evil?  Tell the Truth!

    • DrDons

       Although I share your concerns about the ties of federal agencies such as the CDC, FDA and USDA with corporations I’m not sure what “lies” you think NutritionFacts.org are spreading. Dr. Greger cites well done scientific studies. The video on Aspartame shows that it is harmful see… http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-nutrasweet®-bad-for-you/ and the one that covers a range of artificial sweeteners Sucralose see… http://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-harmless-artificial-sweetener/ along with the recent video on Stevia see… http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-stevia-good-for-you/. I guess I disagree with your interpretation of the videos which I take to show clearly that consumers should avoid all artificial sweeteners and if they use sweeteners they should probably go with either  date sugar or molasses see… http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-healthiest-sweetener/. The avoidance of sweeteners also relates to the amount of fructose. We use glucose in all our cells but fructose is metabolized by the liver into products that are not healthy. It gets complex and the science keeps changing so you need to keep tuned in as you never know when recommendations will change and we will develop a better understanding of the complexities of human nutrition. 

    • http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper

      I think your very valid criticism is misdirected. Have you looked over/read the information on this site?

  • Michael Greger M.D.

    For some context, please also check out my associated blog post Breast Cancer Stem Cells vs. Broccoli!

  • David Paradine

    Does this cover all sprouts or just alfalfa? I’m hoping some are safe. Thank you for all your work, it’s hands down the best website I’ve ever been lucky enough to come across.

  • David Paradine

    And I revoke my question. De anyone wondering, the answers to safe sprouts is in the last link.

  • Paulina

    I plant alfalfa sprouts at home, and i have one question, what about sprouting alfalfa with red raddish? Red raddish sprouts are considered as antibacterial and inhibits growth of mold.

  • http://www.facebook.com/carrie.hickman1 Carrie JL Hickman

    I just want to say thanks for all the GREAT INFORMATION you share on your site! I’m a research psychologist (I research nutrition and health behavior) and I appreciate your research/evidence based approach to nutrition. I just read a comment by someone who sounded completely ignorant. Please know that there are many of us out there who are thankful for what you do. Best nutrition site I’ve ever found, by far. Kudos on a job well done. Keep it up!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.

      You are so sweet! Thank you so much for your kind words. So glad I can help. The nutritional science is just the first half though–we need social psychologists to help develop strategies to convince people to actually adopt healthier habits!

  • http://twitter.com/ACIMessentials ACIM Essentials

    dr. gregor, i love your videos, but i have to SERIOUSLY question this one. do you make your own sprouts? if so, where does the fecal matter come from? i don’t add fecal matter to my alfalfa sprouts. do you? and if so, why do you? please know that i am laughing as i write this. alfalfa sprouts grown in a jar with a mesh lid are exposed only to water – unless you add your own fecal matter to the water. ??? i question this… now i am wondering if i need to question more of your data in other videos. ???

  • Jeanjean Laurendeau

    tell me how alfafa sprouts get into fecal bacteria when and how?????

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