For example, there was a cattle feed lot adjacent to the alfalfa field and water from adjacent fields were used on the crops. Generic E. coli and fecal coliforms were isolated from the irrigation canals on the farm. Further, although the seeds were soaked in a chlorine solutions to remove contamination, the solution was significantly weaker than the amount recommended to minimize bacteria. First, contaminated sprouts can cause serious and even life-threatening illnesses. Second, the sprouters may not be the source of the problem.
Contamination frequently appears to occur earlier in the chain of production.
Third, seeds grown for use as human food must be protected from exposure to manure, animals, and contaminated waters. Finally, identifying the specific point of contamination in a sprout outbreak is presently very difficult, due to the nature of sprout production. These patterns are repeated over and over again in our review of ten outbreaks and recalls linked to sprouts that have occurred since 1995. This year, that nightmare was repeated when a non-motile strain of E. coli O157 caused an outbreak in California. Outbreaks Contaminated irrigation water or contact with manure is not a concern for the vast majority of alfalfa seeds that are used in agricultural production.