Soaking “sprouted” foods in cold water, rather than the more common practice of soaking at ambient temperature, lowers the risk of salmonella growth on these increasingly popular healthy snack foods, according to an Oregon State University study.
The study, published in Food Protection Trends, demonstrates the risk of “sprouting” practices and presents practical strategies to improve safety of these raw foods, said Joy Waite-Cusic, associate professor of food safety systems in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
“If this soaking phase happens at ambient temperature, then there is a significant food safety problem,” said Waite-Cusic, who is also OSU Extension’s statewide specialist for home food safety and food preservation in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. “This study provides regulators with clear guidance on the risks associated with this new category of ‘sprouted’ products.”
FoodWorld 