Although the UK has remained clear of any outbreaks for more than 10 years, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is pushing for a good practice code for the food industry.
"One option that the FSA is keen to discuss with stakeholders is the possibility of the production of a new industry guide to Good Hygiene Practice as a means of promoting good practice throughout the industry," said the FSA.
A cross spectrum of the industry is set to attend the seminar in March, due to cover all types of sprouted seeds, including mung bean, alfalfa and similar products, and salad cress types - including large and small producers in both conventional and organic areas.
The largest single outbreak of poisoning through sprouted seeds, involved radish sprouts contaminated with E. coliO157:H7, and affected more than 6,000 people in Japan in 1996.
Thescale of most Salmonella outbreaks, in the US - the most frequently hit - as well as elsewhere, is largely between 20-200 people with most incidences associated with alfalfa sprouts, reports the FSA.
In 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued precautionary advice that high-risk groups (young, elderly, pregnant women and patients suffering from depressed immune systems) should avoid the consumption of raw alfalfa sprouts. In November 2002, following a number of new outbreaks, this advice was extended to raw and lightly-cooked mung bean sprouts.
In the UK, mung bean sprouts (more commonly known as beansprouts or beanshoots) account for the largest part of sprouted seed sales in the supermarkets. With mustard and cress and 'salad' (rape) cress widely used in salads and sandwiches. In contrast, certain sprouted seeds that are significant abroad, for example alfalfa and radish, are still comparatively uncommon in the UK.
The FSA estimates the size of the UK market - dominated by four major producers - at 30-45,000 tonnes per annum of mung bean sprouts, divided equally between retail, catering and processed foods, with a small minority of sales from alfalfa.
In the US, by contrast the figures have tipped 350,000 tonnes, with a significant proportion taken by alfalfa. Mung beans used for sprouting in the UK are sourced mainly from Australia, China, Mongolia and Burma. Those used by the larger sproutproducers are usually imported with full traceability back to growers, althoughbeans are also available as a commodity for spot purchase.