Concerns
Over Shop-Bought Sprouts and Salads
By
Ross Bridgeford
17th
July 2005
A study, published
in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, has revealed
that there is a high probability that sprouts and salads purchased
from shops and supermarkets can contain unhealthy levels of moulds
and yeasts.
The research was undertaken using samples of 39 ready-to-eat
salads, 29 vegetables and 116 sprouts (including mung bean, alfalfa,
broccoli,
garlic,
lentil and multi-seed) from 13 supermarkets in the USA. The
finding have shown that high yeast and mould populations were
common, with
sprouts
being particularly at risk due to their ability to continue growing
after harvest and throughout the packaging and storing process
(where conditions, such as temperature and humidity may vary).
Worryingly, the type of moulds found, such as Penicillium, Alternaria,
Fusarium and Phoma, are particularly mycotoxic. These were most
prevalent in the samples of crunchy sprouts, such as mung bean
and lentil. Furthermore, Rhizopus
stolonifer and Mucor were found in
crunchy, broccoli and in the miscellaneous sprouts
group and although these types of mould were not found in huge
proportions, they are still able to cause significant damage
as they grow extremely quickly.
So, What Can We Do?
Although it is naive to expect that shop-bought foods can be
as fresh as home-grown or hand-picked foods, it is equally as
naive to think that everyone has the time, energy or knowhow
to grow all of their own vegetable and salad crops!
When we do purchase fresh product from shops and supermarkets
it is essential that we wash, dry and repackage the produce as
soon as we get it home - particularly if it is tightly packed
and stored within the refrigerator.
This will ensure that any moulds or yeasts that are beginning
to form are washed away, and do not have the chance to redevelop.
Moulds thrive in dense, moist environments.
Sprouts However....
As you may already be aware, sprouts are extremely easy to grow
at home and are far more economical to grow than to purchase at
the supermarket. By sprouting at home you are also able to harvest
and eat the sprouts when they are at their nutritional peak.
References
Moulds and yeasts in fresh and minimally processed
vegetables, and sprouts
V.H. Tournas, International Journal of Food Microbiology
99 (2005) 71– 77
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