We have a scare about salmonella in bean sprouts that you buy in the
supermarket.
Can anyone tell me
a) is there a way to clean the beansprouts to rid them of the salmonella?
b) if I buy mung beans and grow my own, how can clean the mung beans?
c) If I do get a contaminated batch of sprouts, does cooking destroy the
germs and how much do I have to cook the sprouts before they are safe?

Thanks
Wayne in Ottawa

>is there a way to clean the beansprouts to rid them of the salmonella?

Normally ...Salmonella has a lower themal death temperature than
other bacteria....mebbe if the bean sprouts if is dipped quickly
(and draining it out ) it in very hot water will minimize its
population.
But that needs a confirmation by bacteriolgical analysis if it really
works.

b) if I buy mung beans and grow my own, how can clean the mung beans?
mungbeans is supposed to be dry so salmonella should not be thriving in
it and if I remember correctly from college microbiology its not a
spore former like clostridium and Bacilllus cereus.

c) If I do get a contaminated batch of sprouts, does cooking destroy
the germs.
If you use the bean sprouts for cooking it should be destroyed as its
heat labile. The only risk if you use if for fresh salads and oriiental
fresh spring rolls which are eaten raw.

>and how much do I have to cook the sprouts before they are safe?

When the cooking temperature IIRC is above 70 degree C then its already
mostly inactivated.