EFN

Consumers are being advised to not eat raw alfalfa sprouts, including sprout blends that contain alfalfa sprouts, for now as the product has been connected to Salmonella serotype Saintpaul contamination.

Health officials think infected seeds, sold across the country, are the source of the outbreak. The warning doesn’t include bean and other types of sprouts.

The Food and Drug Administration reported 31 Salmonella Saintpaul infections have been seen in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.

The reports of the sicknesses started in mid-March. Cases are still being reported, and potential cases are in various stages of laboratory testing, so illnesses could appear in other states. No deaths have been reported. The number of infected people could be worse than presently reported because some illnesses have not yet been confirmed with laboratory testing.

The FDA will work with the alfalfa sprout industry to help discover which seeds and alfalfa sprouts are not associated with this contamination.