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The Food and Drug Administration is now recommending that people stop eating raw alfalfa sprouts for the time being. The food is currently being linked to a salmonella outbreak that is going on in at least six states. Washing the sprouts will not get rid of the contamination so any raw alfalfa sprouts should be thrown out.

FDA officials are warning that infected seeds are the source of the outbreak. That means this problem could get much bigger if people don’t heed the recommendation as the seeds are sold nationwide. Note that the warning only includes alfalfa sprouts and not any other type.

Currently the states involved in the outbreak are Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Minnesota, and West Virginia. These cases of salmonella saintpaul have been reported beginning in the middle of March, according to the Food and Drug Administration. This current outbreak of the illness is probably an extension of the one that caused sickness in over 100 people in February and March in parts of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Thirty-one infections of the illness have already been reported in the current outbreak. More cases may soon be added to this number once they are reported and finish a laboratory testing to determine that the illness is, indeed, caused by salmonella saintpaul. So far no deaths have been attributed to this newest outbreak.

Raw sprouts of all sorts have been linked to dozens of salmonella outbreaks over the past twenty years. Officials from the FDA have said they will soon meet with people from the alfalfa industry to try to pinpoint exactly which sprouts pose a danger.

Salmonella can be a dangerous illness, causing fever, diarrhea and cramps. It usually lasts four days to one full week. Those will weakened immune systems, small children, and the elderly are especially in danger of salmonella as it can cause death. Any raw alfalfa sprouts should be immediately disposed of to avoid the painful and potentially deadly illness.