Wo Chong Alfalfa, Clover Sprouts recalled on Salmonella fears

Public health officials in California are warning consumers not to eat Wo Chong brang Alfalfa and Clover Sprouts because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The warning was announced recently and is one of the first of this Spring growing season involving Alfalfa and Clover Sprouts.

Last year, nearly all shipments of these popular produce items were subject to recalls because they also were contaminated with Salmonella. Further investigations revealed that seeds provided to growers were contaminated with the bacteria.

No link has been drawn between this recall and any recalls last year and these crops could have become contaminated in a variety of manners: dirty runoff water entering the growing fields, contaminated seeds, unsafe picking and processing, or in the packaging and distribution of the product.

According to a release from California Department of Public Health officials, the Wo Chong sprouts are packaged in 4-ounce plastic containers and 1-pound plastic bags. The 4-ounce plastic containers have either a green or red two inch round sticker on them. The green stickers have the words “Alfalfa Sprouts” in the center and the red stickers have the words “Clover Sprouts” in the center. “Wo Chong Co., Inc.” and UPC codes are listed on the bottom of the stickers.

The UPC code for alfalfa sprouts is 027862000108. The UPC code for clover spouts is 027862003017. The one-pound plastic bags have 3-inch square labels with “Clover Sprouts” in red letters and a circular blue Wo Chong symbol in the upper left corner on the front side of the bag.