Sprouts are commonly consumed raw and are used in a variety of ways in culinary dishes. However, between January 1996 and August 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported 50 outbreaks linked to contaminated sprouts, which resulted in more than 2,600 cases of foodborne illness.1 Generally, production of sprouts may include some of the following steps: seed receipt, seed storage, initial seed rinse, seed treatment, pre germination seed soak, germination and growth, microbial testing of spent sprout irrigation water (or in-process sprouts), harvest, wash and drain sprouts, bulk cool or spin dry, pack and/or package, cooling, and storage, and finally, distribution.2 There are specific food safety issues associated with sprouts due to the conditions under which they are produced. The typical time, temperature, water activity, pH, and available nutrients during production are ideal for the survival and growth of pathogens, if present.
We present here a brief overview of historic investigation information associated with outbreaks linked to sprout consumption between 2012 and 2020 that were investigated by FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network.3 In addition, we outline the efforts to identify and respond to these outbreaks, the protective regulatory and public health actions taken to respond to them and prevent future outbreaks, investigational challenges encountered, possible contamination routes, and how the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety rule (PSR) and the Food Traceability proposed rule may affect sprout safety.3–5