Salmonella and E. coli bacteria found in “ready-to-eat” seeds

25 February 2009

Seeds, such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and poppy, are frequently eaten as snack foods or incorporated into meals without further cooking. The study was therefore undertaken to explore the microbiological safety of these products as they would be eaten by consumers.

Between October 2007 and March 2008, 3735 samples of ready-to-eat seeds of different varieties were collected from retail premises including supermarkets, health food shops, convenience shops and market stalls. Overall, 98% were of a satisfactory or acceptable quality in microbiological terms, but 0.6% of samples were found to be unsafe due to the presence of Salmonella, which renders food unfit for human consumption. A further 1.5% were found to contain unsatisfactory levels of E. coli, which is an indicator of poor hygiene.

Dr Jim McLauchlin, Director of the Health Protection Agency's Food, Water & Environmental Microbiology Services, said:

"Our study found that the vast majority of ready-to-eat seeds we tested were safe to eat, however, a small number were contaminated with Salmonella or high levels of E. coli which is concerning. This is clearly unacceptable and in each case the retailer publicly recalled the contaminated batches and food alerts were issued by the Food Standards Agency advising consumers not to eat the affected products."

"When seed crops are grown they can be exposed to a wide range of bacteria from many sources including soil, manure, irrigation water, wild birds and animals. Seeds may also become contaminated during the drying process. The risk of human illness can be reduced for ready-to-eat seeds by hygienic manufacturing practices in the field, during harvesting and during processing of seeds."

The full report can be found on the Health Protection Agency's website at the following link: http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1191942150074?p=1191942150074

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The ready-to-eat seeds were collected from retail premises by sampling officers from 317 Environmental Health Departments (EHD) in 55 Local Authority Food Liaison Groups.
2. Seeds collected were alfalfa, hemp, linseed, melon, poppy, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, other (water melon, celery) and mixed seeds.
3. Seeds coated with chocolate, yoghurt or other coatings, flavoured with seasonings (spices, salt, etc) or those containing dried fruits were excluded from the study.
4. All samples contaminated with Salmonella and unsatisfactory levels of E. coli were pre-packed.
5. Salmonella was detected in seeds produced in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Guatemala, India, Nigeria, USA and West Africa. Unsatisfactory levels of E. coli were detected in seeds produced in Argentina, Austria, China, France, India, Netherlands, UK, USA and West Africa.
6. The most frequently contaminated seed type was melon seeds - also known as egusi - 8.5% contained Salmonella and 12.8% unsatisfactory levels of E. coli.
7. Samples contaminated with Salmonella were sesame seeds, linseed, sunflower, alfalfa, melon and mixed seeds. E. coli was detected in melon, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, poppy, linseed, sunflower and mixed seeds.

Media enquiries:
Emily Collins - 020 7759 2824 / emily.collins@hpa.org.uk
Tycie West - 020 7759 2834 / tycie.west@hpa.org.uk

Last reviewed: 25 February 2009