Raw sprouts grown from alfalfa sprout seeds are extremely nutritious, but due to several illness scares related to salmonella poisoning and strains of bacteria such as E. coli (Escherichia coli), many health organizations recommend eating only cooked sprouts. The potential problem is not with the sprouts themselves, but with the seeds from which they are grown.
Many people falsely believe that sprouting your own seeds is a solution to any potential health hazard, but since the risk is in fact related to the seeds, the best solution is to make sure you know where your seeds come from.
When trying to choose the best alfalfa sprout seeds, look for seeds produced by certified organic growers. Such growers will most likely be smaller farmers. Seeds from large commercial farms, even if they are called organic, are not necessarily safe for sprouting because larger farms do not have the same growing practices as small organic farms. Wherever raw manure is used in the growing process, and large quantities of goods and materials comingle, there is the risk of tainted seeds, and only real organic farmers have a proven track record for not using raw manure and producing safe seeds.
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