Hi Mark,

> I share your skepticism, but still, the FDA's charges need to be responded
> to in some way.  Are 20,000 people a year really getting sick
> from sprouts,
> or is the government's data bogus?  If it is not bogus, then a more
> thoughtful solution to the problem is needed than that of simply giving up
> eating uncooked sprouts.  I suspect the solutions are out there, but they
> don't meet the FDA's conventional "scientific" standards.

I don't think the problem should be ignored; just put into
perspective.
Unfortunately life is risky; we have to get away from this idea that
any
food is 100% at all times without risk for every consumer.

The amount of harm caused by sprouts in these rare cases is
infinitesimally
tiny compared to that caused by confectioners or the pop-drink
conglomerates, but you never hear calls to ban candy bars. There is
not a
lot of financial pressure on the FDA to 'not' take the easy way out.
Also,
are these illnesses actually killing people? I have not heard that. My
SIL's
deceased ex-husband, a diabetic, was killed by confections at less
than age
30.

> I wonder how many of these illnesses involve home-grown sprouts grown from
> organic seeds?  The FDA is concerned that the sterilizing
> chemicals are not
> killing all of the bacteria.  Organic seeds are not treated with ANY
> chemicals.  If the FDA's theory is correct, then consumers of organic
> sprouts should be getting sick at an even higher rate.  But I haven't seen
> any data to indicate that this is so.  It shouldn't be too hard to test.

No incentive for them to demonstrate this though.

> But let's face it:  there are more bugs on raw food.  Sure, cooking kills
> most of them, but it kills many of the health benefits of the food too.
> Those who think we live in a world of hostile microbes will always turn to
> solutions involving cooking, zapping, or poisoning.  Raw juices in stores
> seem to on their way out, too.  But the way to health lies in focusing on
> making our biological terrain healthy so that we can live in peace with
> these critters, not in trying to kill them off with chemicals, drugs,
> cooking, radiation, etc.

Agreed. Raw apple cider just disappeared around here last year.

Paul