Food safety issues noted by FDA inspectors at grower of contaminated Clover Sprouts

Listeria, Salmonella

Food and Drug Administration inspectors discovered numerous problems at Sprouters Northwest, growers of Clover Sprouts linked a Salmonella outbreak last month.

At least seven people in Washington and Oregon have reported getting ill after eating Clover Sprouts grown at this facility.

Inspectors found numerous food safety issues at the Kent, Wash., facility, including the failure to clean surfaces where food touched, food touching a dirty floor, the likelihood of pests entering the facility and the discovery of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria on surfaces where food made contact.

The FDA’s report included the following bullet-points, highlighting problems at Sprouters Northwest:

– Failure to take necessary precautions to protect against contamination of food and food contact surfaces with microorganisms and foreign substances.

– Failure to clean food-contact surfaces as frequently as necessary to protect against contamination of food.

– Failure to clean non-food-contact surfaces of equipment as frequently as necessary to protect against contamination.

– Effective measures are not being taken to protect against contamination of food on the premises by pests.

– Failure to properly store equipment, remove litter and waste, and cut weeds or grass that may constitute an attractant, breeding place or harborage area for pests, within the immediate vicinity of the plant, building, or structures.
– Failure to maintain buildings, fixtures, or other physical structures in a sanitary condition
– Failure to hold raw materials in bulk or suitable containers so as to protect against contamination.