Health Law

Multi-state sprouts outbreak: source of seeds?

By Drew Falkenstein

The sprout salmonella outbreak in Multnomah, County Oregon has sickened at least 23 people in 10 states.  In February, March, and April 2009, a large salmonella outbreak linked to sprouts sickened hundreds of people in the midwest (mostly in Nebraska, but also in Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, and Missouri too), and was ultimately traced to Caudill Seed company, a common distributor of seeds to many sprouters nationally.  What was the source of the seeds in the outbreak announced today?

Lynne Terry at the Oregonian spoke with State of Oregon Epidemiologist Bill Keene about the outbreak.  Keene said that the sprouts were sold in at least 19 states in the West, Midwest and the South. The outbreak includes cases in Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri and Wisconsin.  Is it the seeds again? 

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on May 21, 2010 (boomark / email).