I haven't had alfalfa sprouts in a very very long time, so I got this with excitement at the grocery store. I've been out of the loop about how common it is to get food borne illness from eating alfalfa sprouts, and realized why it was hard to find this at the stores…after I ate some about 4-5 hours ago. Nothing has happened so far, but I'm paranoid that I might get sick. On the packaging it says that it's been tested for e-coli, salmonella and listeria, but how true is that claim? I washed it under cold water but I'm not sure if that really did anything.
Did anyone have a bad experience with this brand or with store bought alfalfa in general? What symptoms should I look out for?
by Accomplished-One5480
11 Comments
Sounds like OCD. If nothing has happened then why panic? And if nothing happens you went through all that stress for nothing
Are you pregnant or immunocompromised in some way? If not, I would consider seeing someone about your anxiety.
almost every time you eat them absolutely nothing will happen.
even if they have something growing in them the chances are low that you’ll get sick if you have a decent immune system.
most people enjoy them and do not get sick.
if you live in the USA you have every right to be worried about food safety, especially under the new Admin; but even before everything was slashed and dashed we’d still have listeria outbreaks and salmonella etc in all types of produce like bagged spinach, frozen berries, and anything under the sun.
I say this with love, OP, but you need some serious help. This is not about food, this is an incredibly problematic mindset that can easily spiral into much worse and potentially dangerous compulsions over time.
Sprouts are generally washed in a weak bleach solution before they are sent to supermarket shelves because of concerns about contamination. This is how it is in my area, but I assume this is commonly followed all over the US.
I have had these and never had a problem – I even ate them once without washing (I forgot I hadn’t washed them), no problems then either. If you are not experiencing any issues then I agree with others that there is no need to whip yourself up and create unnecessary stress – be happy with your healthy choice and enjoy your tasty meal.
I grow my own sprouts…back in the day, there were more cases of alfalfa diseases, so I sort of understand
The US hasn’t had many food poisoning problems with alfalfa sprouts or other microgreens. See Fig 2 [here](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/3/11-1866-f2). And yes, it’s now possible to test the water runoff from a whole greenhouse, for example with primers specific to pathogen DNA and PCR amplification. If any detected, toss the whole crop and sanitize.
I’m still wary, though, as there have been very serious food poisoning outbreaks from alfalfa sprouts in Germany [in 2011](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/06/e-coli-germany-bean-sprouts), and again from a Italian farm [in 2023-25](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10195-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-sprouts-sickened-509-people-over-two-years-in-ten-european-countries). Microgreens can be more concentrated sources of some micronutrients, but none of those nutrients are of any concern in a varied plant based diet, so why bother?
There are some people here telling me to get my anxiety checked out… FYI I’ve had 2 food borne illnesses so far this year, one of them being after eating a salad, hence my paranoia. Maybe I should’ve said that in my post. Thanks to those who are more understanding instead of just telling me to get my mental health checked out.
Gosh. Sorry some people have replied so unkindly. Your concerns are actually valid! I don’t eat sprouts either for the same concern. And no. I don’t have OCD or out of control anxiety. I’d just rather not take any chances. In saying that- I’m certain you will be fine. There are so many high risk foods you can eat and be completely fine with. The idea is just not exposing yourself to risks more than necessary. In most instances sprouts are fine.
I used to grow them but when I learned that the water they sit in while they sprout etc is potentially welcoming contaminants that’s when I stopped.
Supermarket sprouts will have a stricter hygiene protocol. Honestly at this point you will be fine.
Everything is a risk.
Alfalfa sprouts??? Ehhh low risk especially store bought
You can grow sprouts super fast! No processing or cross contamination concerns and only takes a mason jar and a few days