生豆芽安全吗？

 Julia Darnton，Phillip Tocco

发表时间：2014年12月16日

编译：食品安全治理协同创新中心

本文作者：密歇根州立大学Julia Darnton和Phillip Tocco，于2014年12月16日刊登于食品安全新闻网（Food Safety News），经食品安全治理协同创新中心翻译发布于本期刊。本文分两部分，第一部分聚焦消费者，第二部分聚焦种植者。

第一部分

2011年，美国爆发了肠炎沙门氏菌疫情，疫情与苜蓿芽和辛豆芽有关。在这之前不久，在德国爆发了欧洲大肠杆菌疫情，数千人感染，50人死亡。

由李斯特菌引起的豆芽召回事件更进一步引起了美国人对此的关注。所有的疫情都与某种不同的有害病菌有关，这些病菌常常导致食源性疾病。从此，许多餐厅不再将豆芽列入菜单，包括吉米约翰（美国餐厅）的三明治。 一些农贸市场仍然有豆芽出售，专业的厨师和家庭厨子仍想用豆芽给沙拉、果汁或主菜加味。

是什么让豆芽充满危险？怎么样才能安全地食用豆芽？

引起食源性疾病的病菌可能在有寄主的任何地方潜伏着。豆芽里的种子能够，也确实携带了食源性疾病的病原体。这就是为什么我们要认真对待“打开后冷藏”的建议，“冷藏”尽可能地使家中的食源性疾病源头最小化。密歇根州立大学有一个教育团队，致力于帮助消费者理解食源性疾病的风险和危害。

食源性疾病病原体的常见寄主被称为“潜在性危险食物”（PHFs）。生豆芽就是此种食物之一，其他还有肉类,奶制品,切过的瓜、西红柿和绿叶菜。PHFs 必须储存在41华氏度以下或135华氏度以上的环境下（注意此处说的是储存时间，不是烹调温度。不同的食物烹调温度不同）。

加州大学戴维斯分校建议，“若豆芽种子上有病原性细菌，豆芽最适宜的生长条件也是病原性细菌繁殖最理想的条件。” 因此，种子在最适宜细菌生长的环境下生长。据记载，豆芽是许多引起食源性疾病病原体的寄主。这就是为什么生豆芽是潜在性危险食物的原因。

    PHF 这一名称并不说明人们不应该吃或者不应该购买这些食物。这很像点一份全熟的牛排或鸡蛋，吃生豆芽只是意味着有感染食源性疾病的风险。对健康的个体来说，这些食源性疾病只不过是引起一天或两天的恶心或腹泻。对那些对食源性疾病高度易感或低抵抗力的人，包括小孩，老人，孕妇，以及免疫系统低下的人来说，可能会有长期的健康问题，比如严重的风湿性关节炎，流产，肾衰竭或者死亡。

相反，PHF的名称意味着这些食物需要在合适的温度下谨慎制备和储蓄。若没有妥善处理，则丢弃而不要再食用。密歇根农业和农村发展部 (MDARD) 执行了《密歇根食品法》，该法将生豆芽列为潜在性危险食品，需要控制好时间和温度以保证食品安全。这意味着该产品的储存和保存必须受到严密的监管。为了生豆芽的安全食用，时间／温度控制应为41华氏度（5摄氏度）。

第二部分

2011年，美国爆发了一场肠炎沙门氏菌疫情，与苜蓿芽和辛豆芽有关。在这之前不久，在德国爆发了欧洲大肠杆菌疫情，数千人感染，50人死亡。

由李斯特菌引起的豆芽召回事件更进一步引起了美国人对此的关注。所有的疫情都与某种不同的有害病菌有关，这些病菌常常导致食源性疾病。从此，许多餐厅不再将豆芽列入菜单，包括吉米约翰（美国餐厅）的三明治。 一些农贸市场仍然有豆芽出售，专业的厨师和家庭厨子仍想用豆芽给沙拉，果汁或主菜加味。

是什么让豆芽充满危险？怎么样才能安全地种植出豆芽？

引起食源性疾病的病菌可能在有寄主的任何地方潜伏着。豆芽里的种子能够，也确实携带了食源性疾病的病原体。据记载，种子在与啮齿动物的接触中感染，甚至从田间种植的源头起就携带食源性疾病。

消费者需特别注意避免食源性疾病的食物，即“潜在性危险食物”（PHFs）。生豆芽就是此种食物之一，其他还有肉类,奶制品,切过的瓜、西红柿和绿叶菜。加州大学戴维斯分校建议，“豆芽最适宜的生长条件也是病原性细菌繁殖最理想的条件。” 因此，种子在最适宜细菌生长的环境下生长。据记载，豆芽是许多引起食源性疾病病原体的寄主。

    美国食品药品监督管理局 (FDA)于1999年发布了一个关于豆芽的官方指南，因为其存在潜在的危害：“所有与豆芽生产有关的相关方——种子生产者、养护者、分发者和豆芽生产者——必须意识到种子及发芽的种子是引起食源性疾病的一个重要原因。”指南推荐用良好农业规范 (GAPs) 来生产，并且种子要以将感染病原体可能性最小化的方式养护、储存和运输。” ( FDA,1999)

    对有可能成为种植者的人来说，要保证提供种子来源的公司遵循了以上指南，并且有食品安全计划。同时，这也得是种植者自己农场的食品安全计划。

    豆芽的种植者应该意识到食物生产，尤其是豆芽生产的法规，并且通过HACCP 计划来降低污染，以“良好卫生规范为操作标准来控制豆芽成产的全阶段。”

    良好的卫生意味着要常规性地检测储存仓里所有的种子袋，看是否有啮齿动物活动及它们的尿液。在种子出芽前，常规性地检查批量的种子中是否有沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌，种子在出芽前已做好清洁，保证没有沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌，所有阶段地卫生清洁控制措施已经到位，精致地工具已经备好可以安全地收割豆芽，收割后豆芽的温度尽快地降低到34华氏度并且一直保持，直到最后食用。

    国际豆芽种植者协会(ISGA)代表豆芽种植者，并且与包括美国食品药品监督管理局 (FDA)和美国农业部 (USDA)在内的常规性机构有合作，以此强调食品安全问题。这一组织已经为豆芽种植者专门设立了第三方审计。

    豆芽安全联盟已经为豆芽的安全生产设立了一套最佳规则：即从创建危害性分析和关键控制点，或者称HACCP计划开始，在种子收割前强调种子的获取，消毒，测试灌溉水，还有在合适冷藏温度下的储存和分发。

安全的食品和水源是每一个人都关心的问题，密歇根州立大学有资源可以帮到我们。从食物种植到进入市场再到食用，密歇根州立大学的专家们都能回答您有关食品安全的问题。

原文：

Are Raw Sprouts Safe?

BY JULIA DARNTON | DECEMBER 18, 2014

 (This article, focused on consumers, is by Julia Darnton and Phillip Tocco of Michigan State University Extension. It was originally posted here on Dec. 16, 2014, and is reposted with permission. Part 2, focused on growers, will appear tomorrow.)

Part 1

In 2011, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis was linked to alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts in the United States. This was right after an outbreak of European E. coli O104 in Germany, which sickened thousands and was linked to 50 deaths.

Recalls of sprouts as a result of Listeria created yet more concern in the U.S. Each of these outbreaks was linked to a different harmful bacteria feared in foodborne illnesses. Since that time, many restaurants have taken sprouts off the menu, including the sandwich chain Jimmy John’s. Sprouts still appear at some farmers markets and are desired for adding flavor to salads, juices or entrées, both by professional chefs and home cooks.

What causes sprouts to be dangerous? How can sprouts be safely consumed?

Bacteria that cause foodborne illness can lurk anywhere there is a host for them to thrive. In sprouts, the seed can, and does, carry the foodborne illness pathogen. This is why we have to take advisories such as “Refrigerate after opening” very seriously and do our best to minimize the sources of foodborne illness in our own homes. Michigan State University Extension has a team of educators dedicated to helping consumers understand the risk and hazards of foodborne illness.

The common hosts for foodborne illness are categorized as “potentially hazardous foods” or PHFs. Raw sprouts are listed among other foods that are categorized as PHFs such as meats, dairy products, cut melons, cut tomatoes and cut leafy greens. PHFs must be kept colder than 41 degrees F or must be kept above 135 F (please note this is holding time, not cooking temperature, which varies based on the food type).

The University of California at Davis advises that, “The best conditions for sprouting are also ideal for multiplication of pathogenic bacteria if they happen to be present on the seed.” So seeds are sprouting in the ideal conditions for bacteria to grow and sprouts are a documented host for many different bacteria that cause foodborne illness. This is why raw sprouts are potentially hazardous foods.

The designation of PHF does not mean that people shouldn’t eat these foods or shouldn’t purchase these foods. Much like ordering a steak or an egg in any other way but fully cooked, eating raw sprouts means you run the risk of contracting a foodborne illness when you eat it. In healthy individuals, these foodborne illnesses are nothing more than a day or two of nausea or diarrhea. For those who would be considered highly susceptible or vulnerable to foodborne illness, including young children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, it could mean long-term health issues such as severe rheumatoid arthritis, miscarriage, kidney failure or death.

Instead, the designation of PHF means that these foods need to be carefully prepared and stored at the proper temperature, and, if not handled correctly, discarded without being consumed. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) enforces the Michigan Food Code, which lists raw sprouts as a potentially hazardous food and requires time and temperature control for food safety. This means the storage and holding of this product must be closely monitored. The time/temperature control for safety for raw sprouts is 41 F (5 degrees Celsius).

Part 2

In 2011, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis was linked to alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts in the United States. This was right after an outbreak of European E. coli O104 in Germany, which sickened thousands and was linked to 50 deaths.

Recalls of sprouts as a result of Listeria created yet more concern in the U.S. Each of these outbreaks was linked to a different harmful bacteria that are feared in foodborne illnesses.

Since that time, many restaurants have taken sprouts off their menu, including the sandwich chain Jimmy John’s. Sprouts still appear at some farmers markets and are desired for adding flavor to salads, juices or entrées, both by professional chefs and home cooks.

What causes sprouts to be dangerous? How can sprouts be safely grown?

Bacteria that cause foodborne illness can lurk anywhere there is a host for them to thrive. In sprouts, the seed can, and does, carry the foodborne illness pathogen. Seed has been documented to carry foodborne illness from the field of origin, as well as becoming infected through rodent contact.

Foods that need special attention to avoid consumers getting sick  are categorized as “potentially hazardous foods,” or PHFs. Raw sprouts are listed among other foods that are categorized as PHFs, as are meats, cheeses, cut melons, cut tomatoes and cut leafy greens. The University of California at Davis advises that, “The best conditions for sprouting are also ideal for multiplication of pathogenic bacteria if they happen to be present on the seed.” So seeds are sprouting in the ideal conditions for bacteria to grow, and sprouts are a documented host for many different bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an official guidance in 1999 on the topic of sprouts because of the potential harm: “All parties involved in the production of sprouts — seed producers, seed conditioners, and distributors, and sprout producers — should be aware that seeds and sprouted seeds have been recognized as an important cause of foodborne illness.” The guidance recommends that seeds be produced using Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and that seeds are “conditioned, stored, and transported in a manner that minimizes the likelihood that the seeds will be contaminated with pathogens.” (FDA, 1999)

For the potential grower, check to make sure that the company you source seeds from is following these guidelines and has a food-safety plan and that it is part of your own farm’s food-safety plan.

Growers of sprouts should be aware of the regulations governing food production, and sprout production specifically, and work to reduce contamination by having a HACCP plan and using “good sanitation practices as a standard operating procedure to maintain control throughout all stages of sprout production.”

Good sanitation means that storage facilities are routinely monitored for rodent activity and rodent urine on all seed bags, seed batches are routinely tested for incidence of Salmonella and E. coli prior to sprouting, seed has been sanitized prior to sprouting, spent water has been tested to ensure zero Salmonella species and E. coli, health and hygiene controls are in place for workers at all stages, dedicated tools are in place for safely harvesting sprouts that are sanitized between uses, and the temperature of sprouts after harvest is dropped as quickly as possible to 34 degrees F and maintained until delivery to the end user.

The International Sprout Growers Association (ISGA) represents growers of sprouts and is working with regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to address food-safety concerns. The group has created third-party audits specifically for sprout growers.

The Sprout Safety Alliance has generated a set of best practices for safe production of sprouts. Their recommendations begin with creating a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP Plan, for your operation which addresses seed receiving, seed disinfection, testing spent irrigation water for bacteria before sprouts are harvested, and storage and distribution at the proper refrigeration temperature.

Safe food and water are a concern for all people, and Michigan State University Extension has resources to help. From growing to marketing to consuming food, MSU Extension experts can answer your food-safety questions.

链接：http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/12/part-1-are-raw-sprouts-safe/#.VJfaeLQDE

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/12/part-2-are-raw-sprouts-safe/#.VJfa2bQDE