Bean sprouts, tiny green vegetables similar to watercress, commonly used in salads, soups, or sandwiches, are a rich source of vitamin C and magnesium. However, they also pose a significant risk of bacterial contamination.
According to a renowned US food scientist, with the social media alias @hydroxide, whose food safety videos have garnered millions of views, bean sprouts are a “high-risk food” and something she would be extremely cautious about consuming.
Sprouts are tiny seedlings of seeds that have begun to grow into small plants. Various seeds, such as beans and leafy greens, can be consumed as sprouts.
Sprouts are tiny seedlings of seeds
However, the environment in which they grow provides ideal conditions for bacterial growth. According to food scientists, bacteria thrive in moisture; hence, the warm and damp conditions in which sprouts are typically grown are highly attractive to bacteria.
They emphasize that unless you spritz or cook them, the risk of food poisoning looms. According to research by Clemson University in North Carolina, the number of microorganisms on a single sprouted seed can increase to one billion in just three days.
Moreover, US food safety agencies recorded over 2,000 illness cases linked to raw sprouts between 1996 and 2010, with 123 hospitalizations and one death. These tiny greens can also spread bacteria all over your kitchen.
“When handling high-risk, moisture-rich foods, be aware that bacteria can spread to all cooking utensils, as well as countertops, sinks, and other surfaces,” she stressed.
Raw sprouts may be contaminated with dangerous bacteria such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella, leading to foodborne illnesses.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and high fever indicate food poisoning.
Additionally, those affected by food poisoning may experience fatigue, discomfort, aches, and chills.
Symptoms of food poisoning typically appear within a few hours to a few days after consuming contaminated food, but in some cases, it can take up to a week for symptoms to manifest.
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These bacterial clusters can lead to life-threatening risks such as sepsis and meningitis, among other dangerous health complications.
