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Sprouts May Have Sickened 88 in 15 States

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

In a letter received Tuesday by Jimmy John's restaurant franchisees in Illinois, sandwich chain exec Jimmy John Liautaud asked that alfalfa sprouts be removed from menus as a precautionary measure because they may be the cause of an outbreak of Salmonella.
The Illinois Department of Public Health earlier announced that it had received reports of 46 people sickened since Nov. 1.  Liatuad indicated the number could be much higher.
"Approximately 88 people have gotten ill in 15 states," he wrote. "Of those, 40 have been interviewed. Of those 40, 28 have eaten at Jimmy John's. Of those 28, 25 have eaten sprouts."
Liautaud said sprouts were tested at the company's main supplier Friday and the results were negative for Salmonella. 
"We are working closely with the state and they are doing a darn good job in helping find the source," said Liautaud.  "Again, no source has been found yet. This is a precautionary measure."

Full post as published by Food Safety News on December 22, 2010 (boomark / email).