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Recall of Alfalfa Seeds Associated with Salmonella Saintpaul

By PritzkerLaw

Alfalfa seeds from Italy have been associate with a multistate Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. After preliminary epidemiology regarding the ongoing outbreak of illness from Salmonella Saintpaul in people who had eaten alfalfa sprouts was shared with the supplier of the seeds, the supplier made the decision to voluntarily withdraw certain alfalfa seeds from the market.  According to an FDA alert, the recalled alfalfa seeds include the following:

[Seeds] in 50-pound white bags that are either paper or woven from a synthetic material, and the lot numbers in question begin with '032,' followed by a hyphen and three more digits. The bags carry a computer-generated white or yellow label, on which is printed 'Distributed by Caudill Seed Company., 1402 W. Main St., Louisville KY 40203' and the lot number.

CDC Alfalfa Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak Information

CDC is providing updated information on the alfalfa sprouts Salmonella outbreak.  Here is the most recent information from the CDC (last modified April 27):

Since mid-March, 35 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul have been reported from 7 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Michigan (17), Minnesota (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (6), South Dakota (2), Utah (1), and West Virginia (2). Cases are still being reported, and possible cases are in various stages of laboratory testing, so illnesses may be reported from other states. No deaths have been reported.

FDA Recommendations for Growers and Retailers

The FDA alert to growers, retailers and other businesses regarding the alfalfa seed recall provides recommendations for businesses:

Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service facilities should ask their suppliers to verify that the alfalfa sprouts or seeds being provided do not come from an affected lot before buying or serving them. Suppliers who can verify that their products were not sourced from the affected lots may wish to notify their customers; likewise, retailers, restaurateurs, and food-service facilities who have verified the sources of their alfalfa products may wish to notify their customers.
Seeds from the affected lots, lot numbers beginning with 032, and sprouts grown from them, should be safely discarded, as should other products that contain the sprouts, such as sprout blends.

Growers who have used seeds from the potentially contaminated lots should clean all equipment and other surfaces that came into contact with them. They should also safely discard any water that came into contact with the sprouts, and disinfect receptacles or equipment that came into contact with the water.

FDA has long-standing guidance for the sprout industry and continues to urge growers to follow this guidance, which can reduce the risk of contamination with Salmonella and other bacteria (available on the FDA web site at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/sprougd1.html). FDA also urges retailers to use sprouts obtained from growers who follow the FDA guidance.

FDA Warning to Consumers Not to Eat Raw Alfalfa Sprouts

Although the FDA, CDC and state and local health officials have found at least one source of the sprouts Salmonella, FDA has not revised its warning to consumers not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts:

The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that consumers not eat raw alfalfa sprouts, including sprout blends containing alfalfa sprouts, until further notice because of a risk of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul contamination.  As soon as the source of the contamination is identified, FDA will work with the alfalfa sprout industry to help identify which alfalfa sprouts are not connected with this contamination. Other types of sprouts have not been implicated at this time.

Pritzker Olsen law firm is representing people sickened after eating alfalfa sprouts.  For more information about the legal implications of this alfalfa seed recall, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit the free consultation form. 

More information: Alfalfa Sprouts Lawsuit, Salmonella Lawyer, Food Poisoning Lawyer.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on May 02, 2009 (boomark / email).