U.S. consumers should avoid raw alfalfa sprouts because they've been linked to a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak in six states, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Other types of sprouts are considered safe.
The agency said infected alfalfa seeds, sold nationwide, are believed to be the cause of 31 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia, USA Today reported. There have been no deaths.
These current cases appear to be an extension of an outbreak in February and March that sickened more than 100 people in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota, the FDA said.
Over the past two decades, several outbreaks of salmonella have been have been linked to raw sprouts, USA Today reported. Salmonella can be especi