Paul, 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 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. 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. Mark [log in to unmask]