Health news

Bean sprout Salmonella warning

29^th September 2010 - Bean sprouts are seen as a healthy choice in a stir fry - but a warning has been issued about Salmonella risks if they are not washed and cooked properly.

The Health Protection Agency says investigations in England and Scotland have found further evidence of a link between eating raw or under-cooked bean sprouts and a recent increase in cases of Salmonella Bareilly infection.

The agency has identified more than 100 cases since the beginning of August, when it typically only gets 10 a month.

Important development

Professor Qutub Syed from the HPA Outbreak Control Team says in a statement:

“Questioning people with confirmed Salmonella Bareilly infection produced some evidence of a link with bean sprouts and we have now isolated Salmonella from a bean sprout sample. Although we won’t know for a few days if it is the same strain of Salmonella as in the human cases, it is an important development in the investigation.

Unless packs of bean sprouts are marked as ‘ready to eat’, Syed says, “t is more important than ever for caterers and people who buy bean sprouts to eat at home to ensure that these products are properly prepared and cooked until they are piping hot”. 

Raw bean sprouts should also be kept separate from other salad to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.

Salmonella

Infection with Salmonella can cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, nausea, vomiting and fever.

Most people recover without treatment. Recovery is helped with fluid replacement. Medical advice should be sought in cases of severe diarrhoea.

Find out more about food poisoning here.