Alfalfa sprouts recalled after at least 22 ill

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 21, 10:39 pm ET

Caldwell Fresh Foods of Maywood, Calif., announced the recall Friday. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, which also announced the recall Friday, Caldwell‘s alfalfa product was sold in 18 states in the West, Midwest and South.

A representative for Caldwell did not return a call Friday and a release issued by the company did not list the states to which the company sold the alfalfa sprouts.

Oregon officials said the sprouts may have gone to more than 400 stores, including Wal-Marts in several states. Wal-Mart did not respond to a request for comment.

William E. Keene, a senior epidemiologist at the Oregon health department, said Caldwell Fresh Foods is cooperating with an investigation.

Keene said the baby who was sickened was a 4-month-old boy who was fed alfalfa sprouts mixed with other foods. His sickness made the cause of the outbreak easier to identify, Keene said, because the infant had not yet eaten many foods. He was hospitalized but has now recovered.

Alfalfa sprouts are grown in a moist environment, heightening the chances of bacterial growth. The Food and Drug Administration and the CDC recommend at all times that people with a high risk of complications, such as the elderly, children and those with weakened immune systems, not eat raw sprouts because of the risk of contamination with salmonella.

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Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport/index.html

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