On 4/19/2013 2:54 AM, andy ston wrote:
> "Moe DeLoughan" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On 4/17/2013 11:50 AM, andy ston wrote:
>>> Recently seeing someone sprout some mung beans in a jar at home, we
>>> thought
>>> we would have a go. But we have just seen printed on a Waitrose packet of
>>> already sprouted beans, that they are not to be eaten raw.
>>>
>>> Yet we are told from other popular sources, that when raw they contain
>>> the
>>> most nutrients.
>>>
>>> As far as we understand it, most health problems are likely to come from
>>> fields where fecal matter is used as fertilizer.
>>>
>>> We have found all the dried mung beans that we can see sold from
>>> Supermarkets and Health food shops in our area in North London (U.K.) are
>>> coming from China.
>>>
>>> Is there a period of time that if we kept the dried beans for, any
>>> bacteria
>>> such as e-coli and salmonella etc etc would not survive this dry
>>> environment, and thus would be safe to sprout eat raw.
>>>
>>> If not, is there anything else we can to with the dried beans to eat raw
>>> sprouts them safely? Thanks.
>>
>> ...The following steps are suggested for those who want to produce sprouts
>> at home:
>>
>> 1. Buy certified (pathogen-free) seed* AND
>>
>> 2. Treat the seed by heating on the stovetop for five minutes in a
>> solution of 3%
>> hydrogen peroxide (available at most drug stores) preheated to 140°F
>> (60°C).
>> Use a clean, accurate cooking thermometer (preferably digital) to reach
>> and
>> maintain this temperature during treatment. Typically, the small seed
>> volumes
>> used for home sprouting can easily be contained in a small mesh strainer
>> and
>> immersed directly into the heated peroxide solution. Swirl the strainer at
>> one minute intervals to achieve uniform treatment. For larger volumes,
>> stir the seed occasionally during the heating process to ensure uniform
>> temperature during treatment. Always discard the peroxide solution after
>> each seed batch as its effectiveness will rapidly decline.
>>
>> 3. Rinse the seed in running tap water for 1 minute. In addition, we
>> recommend
>> that you place the rinsed seed in a container with enough tap water to
>> cover
>> the seed plus one inch. Then carefully skim off all floating seed, seed
>> coat fragments, and other debris and dispose of them. Although skimming
>> can be a
>> tedious process, research has tied most contamination to these materials.
>>
>> 4. Sprout the seed in clean, sanitized containers, well away from areas of
>> food
>> preparation, pets, and high household traffic.
>>
>> To sanitize sprouting containers:
>> Follow the directions on the bleach container (use plain, not scented
>> laundry
>> bleach) for sanitizing kitchen surfaces. Use 3/4 cup of bleach per gallon
>> of water
>> (3 tablespoons per quart) and soak the container for at least 5 minutes.
>> Then
>> rinse with clean water.
>>
>> 5. Follow precautions for consumption as below.
>> If sprouts are made in the home and eaten raw, young children, elderly
>> persons,
>> or persons with weakened immune systems should NOT eat them.
>>
>>
>> * Current sources include Burpee Seed Co. (http://www.burpee.com) and
>> Sprout People (http://www.sproutpeople.com).
>> If you are buying seed to sprout at home, make sure to specifically
>> request pathogen-free certification, as the seed is not marketed as such.
>> Certified organic sprout seed is available from several sources, but the
>> term “organic” does not
>> necessarily mean that the seed is pathogen-free or that it has been tested
>> for pathogens. At the same time, this does not suggest that organically
>> grown seed poses any elevated risk of illness.
>>
>> http://www.foodsafetysite.com/resour...lfaSprouts.pdf
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Moe thank you for your detailed response. You have certainly educated us all
> on how to be 100% safe.
>
> However I've since found out that most people who sprout, simply go ahead
> without these precautions.
>
> May I ask your personal opinion, if generally speaking someone is in
> reasonable health; would you think it an acceptable risk just to keep the
> dried beans in storage at home for several months and then just soak and
> sprout. Or is this a risk you think not acceptable? Thanks.
>
I don't take chances with food, because the potential cost for me just
in terms of time lost from missing work is too high. I like raw
sprouts, but I'm not willing to take a chance on missing a week of
work. So I'd either pass on them altogether, or at a minimum follow
the above steps to minimize potential pathogen exposure before
sprouting them.
If it helps, I used to work for a seed company. Most people don't
realize how common it is for seeds to pick up contaminants from the
soil or through processing. It's so common that certain seed varieties
are routinely treated (sometimes chemically, often with heat or hot
water) before packing to reduce the fungal or bacterial load. Most of
the time these pathogens aren't hazardous to humans, but stuff that
can affect the growth of the plants. The point is that you can't
assume seeds are clean and free of pathogens just because they *look*
clean. Lots of these pathogens don't significantly die off or diminish
over time, either. So storing the seed probably won't make much
difference. Hydrogen peroxide is perfectly safe to use as a
disinfectant. Heck, people gargle with it and use it to flush out
small wounds. That in combination with heat is probably the
lowest-level yet effective treatment you can do to reduce your
potential exposure to pathogens. But if you're not particularly
worried, I guess you can take your chances. I know many people who
never follow recommended procedures when canning vegetables at home.
It hasn't hurt or killed them - yet, which is why they're willing to
keep taking chances. It's not a gamble I'd take, but some people do.