Health Law

Another, Yes, Another Salmonella Sprout Outbreak

By David Babcock

The ever vigilant folks at Oregon Department of Health just announced a new outbreak of Salmonella in Oregon and Washington linked to clover sprouts produced by Sprouters Northwest Inc., of Kent, Washington.   The release states:

To date, at least six people have been sickened: two in Oregon and four in Washington.
Reported illnesses began between Dec. 4 and Dec. 17. No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported.

All of Sprouters Northwest's clover sprouts have been recalled.  The products were sold in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, British Columbia, Canada, and perhaps other states.  William Keene, senior epidemiologist, stated:

Once again, sprouts have been identified as the cause of an outbreak of salmonellosis.  Consumers who have sprouts at home should check to see if they have any of the recalled products and, if so, should discard them. Retailers should immediately check their stocks and pull any clover products from Sprouters Northwest.

More information on the product description:

The recalled sprouts were sold at retail stores in 4-ounce and 5-ounce plastic containers;
larger 1-pound bags and 2-pound trays were sold to grocery stores and wholesale suppliers, which in turn supplied sprouts to restaurants and other outlets. The clover varieties include Clover, Clover & Onion, Spicy Sprouts and Deli Sprouts. All packages carry the Sprouters Northwest brand name.

The outbreak, one of many linked to sprouts, follows immediately on the heels of a multi-state outbreak linked to Tiny Greens sprouts of Illinois, with many of the illnesses tied to sandwiches from Jimmy John's restaurants in Illinois.

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on January 03, 2011 (boomark / email).