There have been a few recent news stories regarding salmonella contamination in sprouts. These have been combined with warnings from the Food and Drug Administration that sprouts could be contaminated with food poisoning bacteria and advising the very old, the very young, and those with compromised immune systems to avoid raw sprouts.
Most people knowledgeable in sprouting feel that these stories were far overblown because it made interesting news - it's the original "health food might be bad for you" story.
Use certified organic seeds. Organic certification assures that seeds have been grown and handled in a manner which helps minimize possible sources of contamination. Manure used on organic fields, for example, must be composted for a long period of time. Composting has been shown to reduce or eliminate pathogens in manure. Organic farmers are also required to use rodent/bird proof storage for seeds destined for consumption. Organic sprouting seeds have NOT been implicated in any outbreak of food poisoning.
Also refrigerate finished sprouts. Ideally you want to eat them right after you pick them. Those sprouts are still growing in your plate! Now that's "Fresh"!
Happy sprouting
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