NEW SEED SANITATION PROCESS SPROUTS GROWING CONCERNS

JONNA CRISPENS

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new, seed sanitizing process designed to remove microbial contaminants from alfalfa and other sprouts is under expedited evaluation by the Environmental Protection Agency, here, following growing concerns over the safety of such food products.

The process, which is the result of several years of research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Universities of Georgia and Massachusetts, comes after incidents involving the presence of salmonella and E. coli contamination on sprouts, which are often eaten raw.

California's Department of Health Services, based in Sacramento, Calif., recently issued an advisory warning consumers at "high-risk for severe foodborne diseases" to avoid eating alfalfa sprouts. High-risk groups include children, seniors and those with compromised immune systems.

California's advisory followed a state investigation of three salmonella and E. coli outbreaks associated with sprouts that affected about 60 people.

Shortly after California's advisory, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, here, issued an Aug. 31 statement "reaffirming" such health advisories concerning alfalfa sprouts.

The FDA's statement, however, called its reaffirmation an interim measure until intervention methods are in place to improve product safety.

The sprout growers industry is counting on a concentrated solution of calcium hypochlorite used as a sanitizing seed wash to provide that method of intervention. Although use of the solution is not new to sprout growers, its recommended use in a more highly concentrated form is, according to Nancy Snider, president of the International Sprout Growers Association in Amherst, Mass.

The new process calls for the solution to be used in 20,000 parts per million -- about 10 times higher than the 2,000 parts per million that has traditionally been used, she said.

Snider said that more than 30 products were tested before the effectiveness of such higher levels of calcium hypochlorite -- a 2% solution -- were discovered.

Although Snider says that the solution has been tested to be "100% effective," a more conservative statement, issued by the FDA, said that use of the solution has the "potential to substantially reduce microbial contamination of seeds."

The use of the solution -- a calcium-based bleach -- does not harm the germination of sprouting seeds, said Snider, adding that there is no "residual" solution on the product by the time the sprout grows.

Snider says the effectiveness of the solution is reflected in the fact that past salmonella and E. coli outbreaks have originated from sprouts whose seeds were not washed in the solution, or were washed in levels of less than 2,000 parts per million.

The EPA is expected to approve the use of calcium hypochlorite on an interim "emergency" basis soon, because of the health advisories issued by California and the FDA, according to Snider, who says final approval is expected to take a little longer.

Snider says she also expects the next three to six months to bring the development of additional decontamination processes, including irradiation.

In the meantime, Snider says that a number of growers have elected to begin washing sprout seeds using the higher solution concentrations.

In light of California's recent health advisory, at least one produce distributor -- JC Produce, the largest statewide independent distributor in the state -- has discontinued the sale of alfalfa sprouts, according to a Sept. 4 statement by the Sacramento, Calif.-based company.

But a number of retailers contacted by SN said their sprout sales have been unaffected by such health concerns.

At Genuardi Family Markets, a 27-store independent in Norristown, Pa., "sales haven't slowed," and "there have been no real consumer questions," according to Ray Taglialatela, director of perishables merchandising. He concluded that the issue "isn't really an issue" in his stores.

Nevertheless, Taglialatela says that his company is "cognizant" of the health concerns and continues to deal only with suppliers who are "following all safe growing practices."

Sales have also held steady at Fresh Encounter, a 13-store chain in Findlay, Ohio, were Rick Robinson, merchandiser of produce, said that there's been "no real customer complaints or feedback" of any kind.

One retailer at a medium-sized California chain who asked not to be identified, said he wasn't aware of the health advisory issued by his state and had not noticed any change in sprout sales, nor heard of any consumer complaints.

In addition to focusing on the new seed sanitizing process, the International Sprout Growers Association is also developing a food safety program for sprout growers, which it hopes to finish by late September, according to Snider.

As part of the program, which is being developed with input from the FDA and California's DHS, the association will issue "quality verification seals" for products that meet various food safety criteria. The criteria includes third-party inspections, adherence to general manufacturing practices, the use of the new seed sanitizing process, and adherence to a HAACP system control.

The program, which would be available industrywide, is designed to help attain a consistent level of quality throughout the industry, said to Snider.

"It's really a big step for us," she said. "We're basically small growers involved in alternative [growing practices]."

Since 1995, raw sprouts have emerged as a recognized source of foodborne illness in the United States, according to an FDA statement of Aug. 31.

In a statement of the same date, the Sprout Growers Association noted that there has been an estimated 10 outbreaks of illness associated with sprouts since 1995 -- with five of those outbreaks occurring in California.

There are more than 400 sprout growers in the United States -- the highest concentration of which are located in California. They produce more than 300,000 tons of sprouts and account for about $250 million in sales.