OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska company is recalling alfalfa sprouts sold in three states after 15 cases of salmonella were linked to the food.
SunSprouts said Thursday that its recall covers 808 pounds of sprouts that it sold to distributors in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas in November and December. Health officials have said they linked the illnesses to alfalfa sprouts eaten at several restaurants and sold at several different grocery chains.
Neither the company nor health officials identified the restaurants and grocers that sold the sprouts that are suspected to be tainted with salmonella.
Nebraska health officials urged people not to eat alfalfa sprouts after they linked the illnesses to them. Most of the cases of salmonella were found in the Omaha area.
So far, no salmonella cases have been confirmed outside of Nebraska, but the Food and Drug Administration said it is conducting a multistate investigation into the outbreak.
Salmonella causes sometimes bloody diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. People with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and young children are especially susceptible to developing severe illnesses. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 26,500 people are hospitalized and 450 die from salmonella infections every year. But most people recover from salmonella infections on their own.
The recalled alfalfa sprouts sold under the SunSprouts brand have expiration dates between Dec. 10 and 27 and carry lot numbers of either 4211 or 5211.
SunSprouts, which is based in Fremont, Nebraska, said it is investigating how the sprouts were handled after they left the company’s facility.
Company President Mike Rhodes said the recall is being done voluntarily “out of an abundance of caution” to make sure people don’t get sick.
Rhodes said there haven’t been any positive salmonella tests at the company’s plant, which FDA inspectors were visiting Thursday.
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