 Recent surveys of sprout growers in California and across the United States identified a broad variety of production practices, including types of facilities, types of seed sprouted, and pounds of sprouts produced. For example, the surveys reported sprouts being produced in buildings, sheds, greenhouses, modified buses, agricultural fields, or a combination of these. Firms were producing about 50 different kinds of sprouts. The most frequently observed products were mung bean, alfalfa, clover, and radish sprouts. Most firms were relatively small operations, producing less than 15,000 pounds of sprouts per week. These surveys also identified one or more problems with sanitation and hygiene in at least half of the sprout production facilities visited. Although seed appears to be the primary source of contamination in sprout-associated foodborne illness outbreaks, poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene at the sprout facility will increase the likelihood of sprout-associated foodborne illness. This module will present an overview of one way to produce sprouts the right way. The sprouting facility should be clean, well-maintained, and enclosed. Facility layout should allow separation of seed storage, production, and packaging areas. Traffic flow within the facility should be such that employees are moving from the cleanest areas first, like product packaging, to less clean areas, like seed storage, and not the other way around. Additional information on requirements and recommendations for facility construction is provided in Module 2 and in the GMP materials accompanying this video. Plant cleaning and sanitation are covered in Module 3e. Appropriate personnel practices are discussed in Module 4. Each of these factors should be firmly in place before production begins. Seeds should be clearly posted at the entrance of the facility and at relevant locations throughout the facility to ensure visitors and employees are aware and reminded of company policy about hygiene and sanitation. Sprout production consists broadly of the steps shown here. Some firms may add to or omit some of these practices depending on a number of factors including the type of seed being sprouted and the size and resources of the firm. Seed is usually received by the firm in bags or sacks. 50-pound cloth bags are most common. Seed suppliers should visually inspect all bags and pallets upon delivery for evidence of contamination including insects, water stains, and presence of rodent or bird droppings. Bags of seed that have been contaminated with rodent urine will glow when viewed using a black light. Seed sacks and seed that show signs of contamination or excess filth should be rejected. As mentioned in the preceding module, producing a safer product starts with using good, quality, clean, intact seed. Sprouter should purchase seed only from reputable suppliers. They should have good communication with their suppliers and should know as much as possible about where and how their seed was produced. Seed bags usually bear a tag listing the following information. Supplier name, supplier address, lot number, seed type name, and country of origin. Sprouter should retain these to facilitate traceback in the event of a problem. If microbial testing of seed is done, either by the supplier or the sprouter, results should be reviewed. The seed storage room should be clean and sanitary and separate from the rest of the facility. It should not be used to store equipment, chemicals, or personal items. Storage area temperature and humidity should be controlled. Seed stores best in a cool, dry environment. A good rule of thumb is a combination of heat and humidity that equals 100. For example, room temperature of 70 degrees and 30% humidity. Seed should be stored off the floor and away from walls to reduce the likelihood of rodent contamination and facilitate inspection for signs of rodent contamination. Open bags should be stored in a receptacle with a tight-fitting lid or otherwise protected from contamination. Seed containers and the surrounding area should be inspected on a regular basis to monitor for pests, and a pest control program should be in place. Seed lots should be kept separate to facilitate traceback should the need arise. Seed lot number should be noted and recorded for each batch of sprouts produced. Seeds have been identified as the source of contamination in most sprout-associated outbreaks. Therefore, it is important that sprouters apply an approved disinfection treatment to seed immediately before sprouting. Currently, 20,000 parts per million calcium hypochlorite is recommended for treating seed. Seed disinfection will be covered in more detail later, but the basic steps look like this. Employees handling calcium hypochlorite should take appropriate safety precautions, including wearing protective clothing. A fresh 20,000 parts per million calcium hypochlorite solution should be made for each batch of seed. Carefully follow all label instructions when mixing and using calcium hypochlorite solution. Additional references are available in the accompanying handouts. It is important to use the correct amount of solution for a known quantity of seed. Too much seed or too little solution will decrease the effectiveness of the treatment. A mixture of one gallon of solution for five pounds of seed should be used to ensure adequate antimicrobial activity. Weigh out a known quantity of seed into an appropriate container and pre-wash the seed with potable water to remove any dirt or debris and then drain. Add the 20,000 parts per million calcium hypochlorite solution to the cleaned seed and stir for 15 minutes at room temperature. Pour off the used chlorine solution and dispose of according to state requirements. Treated seeds should be rinsed with potable water for 10 minutes, changing the water several times as necessary to remove any residue. After disinfection treatment, seeds to be grown in trays are generally pre-soaked in potable water to initiate sprouting. Seeds grown in drums are generally not pre-soaked but placed directly in rotary drums. If seeds are pre-soaked, the soak time should be as short as possible to minimize the opportunity for microbial growth. For some seeds, one hour is sufficient. After pre-soaking, seeds should be rinsed with potable water to remove residues from soaking. Methods used for germination and growth and subsequent harvest and washing vary depending on many factors, including the size of the operation and the type of sprout grown. Germinators may use rotary drums, trays, growing rooms, or soil trays. Soil trays have some special considerations that will be covered later in this module. Germination and growing times vary with type of sprout, time of year, and germination process used. For example, alfalfa and clover three to seven days, broccoli four to seven days, mung beans three to eight days, radish three to fourteen days, and wheatgrass three to fourteen days. Germination processes fall into two general categories, rotating drums or trays on racks generally in a lighted room and stationary containers, for example bins, beds, or buckets, in environmentally controlled rooms or freestanding growth chambers which are often kept dark. In addition, some sprouters germinate sprouts in drums, allow up to 60% of growth to occur, then rinse the sprouts and transfer them to trays, cups, or final packages, such as clamshell type packages, on a tiered table or rack to finish growing. With this process, sprouts will grow in a more vertical uniform manner. When purchasing new equipment or remodeling facilities, food safety and ease of cleaning should be a primary concern. Rotating drums are usually hard plastic cylinders, measuring approximately five feet in diameter by five feet deep. Drums are positioned sideways and off the ground with a chain or belt attached to the back of the drum for rotation. Rotation keeps sprouts separated and prevents clumping. The inside of the drum is typically partitioned into quarters with the same plastic. As discussed elsewhere in this video, drums should be designed in a way and constructed of materials that make cleaning easy. Drums and all equipment should be positioned in a way that facilitates cleaning. Typically, alfalfa, broccoli, clover, and radish seed are sprouted in rotating drums. Each drum can hold eight to 100 pounds of seeds, although 10 pounds of seed per quadrant is most common. Once the seed is placed in the drum, the lid is closed and the drum begins to rotate. Water is sprayed intermittently on the seed to keep the sprouts from overheating, to remove byproduct residues of growth, such as ethylene gas, and to irrigate the product. For instance, seed may receive a water spray every 10 to 15 minutes for 10 seconds. Sprouters should use potable water for irrigation. Air may be blown into the drum to keep the product ventilated. Care should be taken to ensure air does not contain contaminants, such as dust and mold, that can contaminate product. Mung beans and soybeans are generally grown in bins or beds in separate rooms. Rooms are kept dark, humid, and with temperatures between 70 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. An intermittent spray, for example, less than a minute every four hours, is applied either manually with a hose or by an automated watering system. Buckets, bins, barrels, or beds should all be raised off the floor to prevent contaminants from splashing onto the product. During the sprouting process, samples of irrigation water or sprouts should be tested for pathogens E. Coli 0157H7 and Salmonella. Samples should be collected at least 48 hours after the start of sprouting, but no later than 48 hours before harvest and packaging to allow the sprouter to obtain results before the product is shipped. It is important that persons collecting samples understand aseptic sampling procedures to avoid contaminating samples and know how to label and package samples for transport to a laboratory. It is strongly recommended that all testing for pathogens be done by an external, qualified, independent laboratory. Additional details on sampling and testing procedures are contained later in this video. When sprouts have reached the desired stage of growth, they are removed from growing containers or harvested. Depending on conditions and the rate of growth, sprouters may harvest a little sooner than expected, or they may let the sprouts grow a little longer. This variability should be figured in when planning when to sample for microbial testing. All equipment used to transfer seed to growing containers and to harvest sprouts should be cleaned and sanitized. Equipment and tools should be stored between use in a clean and sanitary condition. Tools should not be placed on the floor or used for other purposes. During harvest and washing, sprouts should be handled with clean and sanitary equipment. After sprouts are removed from the growing container, they are washed with cool water to remove excess hulls. Washing with cool water also helps bring down the temperature of the sprouts. Sprouts may be washed in a bucket of water and sieved through a handscreen, or they may be placed in a bubbling tub of water to loosen and float off hulls. Occasionally, sprouts are washed in recirculating water in a flume system. If water is reused for washing successive batches of sprouts, water treatment systems and monitoring devices should be in place to maintain water quality. After washing, sprouts are usually spin dried using a centrifuge for one minute, or in some instances, a clothes dryer for two minutes. Sometimes, sprouts are placed in a cold room between harvest and packaging to remove heat generated during the sprouting process. Anytime sprouts are cooled in a cold room, they should be placed in small shallow containers to allow for rapid cooling and to minimize the potential growth of pathogens. Sprouts in a large container, such as a 20-gallon barrel, may take several days to cool. When cool and dry, fully germinated sprouts are ready for packaging. Some firms grow sprouts in soil. This practice carries some additional considerations. If a sprouter is growing sprouts both in soil and hydroponically, soil grown sprouts should be grown in a separate room from hydroponic sprouts to avoid cross-contamination. Tools and equipment used for soil grown sprouts should not be used for hydroponic sprouts. Personnel should change boots and clothing and wash hands after working with soil grown sprouts and before entering other areas of the facility. Seed used for soil trays is soaked and rinsed as described earlier for hydroponic operations. After rinsing, wet seed is usually held in buckets to allow for initial germination. Again, this should be kept to as short a time as possible to minimize microbial growth. While seed is soaking, plastic trays are filled with soil. Sprouters growing sprouts in soil should choose a growing medium, for example, sterilized potting soil that does not contribute to food safety concerns. Maneuver, even composted manure, should not be used. Presoked seeds are spread on top of the soil and leveled out. Growing usually takes place in a greenhouse. Water is sprayed on trays usually two times daily by an automated pipe system overhead. Sprouts can take five to 10 days for optimal growth in wintertime or three to 10 days in summertime. Most soil grown sprouts are harvested at the facility, washed, packaged, and delivered to the customer. Typically, soil grown products are brought into a cutting and packaging room in soil trays. Ideally, soil grown sprouts will be packaged in a separate area that is cleaned and sanitized between use. If the same room is used to package soil grown sprouts and other sprouts, soil grown sprouts should be brought in alone, for example, when no other product is being packaged. All surfaces that come in contact with soil or soil trays should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before other product enters the area. Some sprouters do not harvest soil grown sprouts at the facility, but place the sprouts and soil tray in a plastic bag and deliver the product directly to the retailer. At the retailer, the tray is placed in a cooler. Typical retailers of this product are juice blending shops. These shops cut sprouts, primarily wheatgrass, directly from the tray and drop them into a blender with other fruits, vegetables, and various ingredients. When the retailer is finished cutting sprouts from the tray, the tray of soil with remaining roots is returned to the sprouter. The sprouter may pick up these trays while delivering new trays of freshly grown uncut product. Trays should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before reuse. Some sprouters deposit used soil and remaining sprout parts into a compost mound. However, reuse of this soil for sprout production is not recommended. Packaging should be done as quickly as possible after harvest. Packaging is usually done manually and should be done in a separate packaging room. Packaging materials should be stored in a clean, dry, pest-free environment separate from seed. Only food grade packaging materials should be used. Since sprouts are living plants and continue to respire, packaging materials should not permit an anaerobic condition to develop. Packaging usually occurs at the growing site. However, occasionally, product is transported in bulk to another location to be packaged. Some firms selling at farmer's markets transport the product in bulk and package the product into retail containers as it is sold. It's much more difficult to control conditions at a farmer's market compared to a packaging room in an enclosed facility. Handwashing facilities may not be easily accessible at a farmer's market, and product may be exposed to hot sun and blowing dirt. Such conditions make appropriate handling of potentially hazardous food very difficult. If product is sold like this, special care should be taken to ensure product is kept cold to avoid bare-hand contact with the product and that utensils used to transfer sprouts to retail containers are clean and sanitary. Sprouts have been designated as a potentially hazardous food in FDA's food code. Therefore, if the food code has been adopted in the state, certain requirements need to be met, one of which is maintaining a cold chain or keeping product cold at all times. Packaged sprouts should be placed immediately in refrigerated storage. Cold room temperature should be 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Temperature should be monitored and recorded or a continuous temperature recording device used. Thermometers should be checked regularly to ensure they're working and that they are accurate. Measuring the temperature of the product in the center of the room is a better indicator of product temperature than measuring room temperature. Product should be arranged to allow good air circulation and rapid cooling. Because sprouts are still respiring, they can generate heat even in a cold room. Small containers and good air circulation help prevent hot spots that may result due to heat generated by the still living sprouts. The cold chain needs to be maintained as much as possible when staging or stacking boxes to prepare for loading delivery trucks. Refrigerated delivery trucks should be cooled before product is loaded. Staging on non-refrigerated docks and or in the hot sun and likewise, delivering product to non-refrigerated customer docks breaks the cold chain. If product warms, microorganisms may grow. Delivery vehicles should be clean and sanitary. They should have refrigeration and thermometer gauges, especially if they are going more than a short distance. Remember that delivery times depend not only on distance but also on the number of delivery stops made. Since sprouts are perishable foods, at retail, they need to be held under refrigeration. Once sprouts are harvested, cleaning and sanitation activity should take place prior to the next production run. This is where your sanitation standard operating procedure, SSOP, becomes especially important. As discussed earlier, an SSOP should detail all steps necessary to properly clean and sanitize your facility, along with instructions for how and how often these steps should be taken. SSOP should detail how all equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces should be routinely disassembled, inspected, cleaned, and sanitized prior to being placed back into operation. SSOP should also detail how non-food contact surfaces, including floors, walls, and ceilings, are to be cleaned and sanitized. SSOP should include safeguards to ensure that sanitation activities do not contaminate ingredients, finished products, or packaging. SSOP should detail how all chemicals used during sanitation activities are to be stored, measured, handled, and disposed of.