International Specialty Supply
Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World
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International Specialty Supply Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World
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820 East 20th Street Cookeville, TN 38501 USA 931 526 1106
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ISS
Rejects Contaminated Seed SproutNet ISS September
4,
2000 We
recently received a sample of seed from Australia that was contaminated with
mouse droppings. We immediately contacted the processing plant and
informed them of the problem. They appreciated our diligence and
volunteered to divert the seed from the sprouting market to the animal fodder
(hay) market. We
then scrambled to find replacement seed and received a sample out of California
that passed our inspection tests as well as salmonella and E.coli
0157:H7 tests. We purchased the load and brought it in to Cookeville for a
complete inspection before shipping it out to sprout growers.
Unfortunately, upon full inspection, our seed specialist, Barry Mayes
determined that this load of seed was also contaminated at the rate of 4 animal
droppings per pound or 9 droppings per kilogram. We
immediately contacted the supplier in California and let them know their load
was contaminated. They informed us that their seed could not possibly be
contaminated because they specialize in supplying the sprouting industry and
they don't sell contaminated seed. They felt that the only reason we would
reject their seed is because we must have found seed at a cheaper price.
We sent them a sample of the seed, with the mouse dropping in it and they looked
at it and said it was just dirt. This is despite the fact that we sent
them our fecal coliform test findings and even a photograph of the plate
itself. They
were so convinced that they could not have contaminated seed that - get this -
they contacted the FDA and asked them to come out and inspect the seed.
The FDA, Tennessee Department of Health, and the USDA converged on ISS.
The FDA inspected the seed as well as our sprouting facility. The
Tennessee Department of Health inspected our sprouting facility, and the USDA
inspected the seed. Both
the USDA and FDA determined that the seed was contaminated. The FDA
accepted a proposal from the seed supplier in California to allow the seed to be
tagged "Not for Sprouting" and shipped back to California. The
California company will need to provide records to the FDA as to where each
shipment goes and that it will used for fodder, not sprouting. We
have found other seed from Australia and Canada that passed our stringent
sampling, inspection and testing procedures and is available for sale to sprout
growers. We believe it is the safest seed on the market. However,
like all sprouting seed, it needs to be considered suspect of contamination and
be sanitized. Before any sprouts are sold they need tested for
pathogens using the FDA recommended procedures. There
was an interesting thought brought up by the FDA inspector though. There
is a certain amount of contamination (feces, rat hair, insects, etc.) that is
allowed in food. Does the FDA have the authority to condemn
contaminated sprouting seed if it falls within the tolerance? The
seed in question did not fall within the tolerances, so it was not an issue, but
I got the impression that they needed to find a certain level of contamination
before they considered it contaminated. You might find the next article
interesting. |