Seed sprouts as a food originated in the Far East countries but have spread into the Western world within the past several years because of their image as a healthy food that contains protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals.
In the Far East, sprouts are typically thoroughly cooked before consumption, but in manyWestern markets, sprouts are usually eaten raw as a component of salads or on sandwiches or lightly cooked in various dishes.
In spite of their healthy image, sprouts have been associated with numerous outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, many caused by Salmonella.Between 1998 and 2014 in the US alone there were 35 sprout associated salmonellosis outbreaks with 1555 victims.
Most of the outbreaks associated with sprouts have been traced back to contaminated seeds; significant increases in Salmonella cell populations can develop during the storage, sprouting, and handling of seeds, potentially exceeding 7 log CFU/g.