Nutritional Benefits
What's so great about sprouts? Soaking seeds in water makes them uninhibited! Honest -- they lose an enzyme inhibitor and their nutritional value increases by leaps and bounds. Interested? Our sprouting seed supplier, Mumm's, has a page of links to medical studies and news articles that discuss specific health benefits of different kinds of sprouts.Food Safety
Sprouts, like any fresh live food, could carry harmful bacteria; nothing grown in nature is sterile. We recommend that you only sprout seeds that have been tested and packaged for sprouting, like Mumm's brand. Although Mumm's thinks the risk of organic seed being contaminated with Salmonella or E.coli is very small, they do take it seriously. Mumm's samples each lot (probes every bag) of seed as it arrives in their warehouse. Samples go to an independent lab for sprouting, followed by Salmonella and E.coli O157 tests. Mumm's keeps seeds quarantined until negative test results are returned. They use a system of GMPs (good manufacturing practices) to ensure the seed stays clean until it reaches the customer. The FDA recommends such testing for pathogens by seed suppliers. Nevertheless, the FDA also recommends thorough cooking of sprouts before serving them to pregnant women, children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
Don't forget your old friends, the alfalfa sprouts, but take a walk on the wild side with other kinds of sprouts.
