Sprouts are regarded as a healthy food source, rich with vitamins, minerals and non-meat proteins, but they've also been recalled five times in the last two years for salmonella and hundreds of people have become sick due to them. Activists can complain about GMOs but, after decades in use, not so much as a stomach ache has been caused by them.
The problem, according to an analysis by a University of British Columbia expert, is the high levels of bacteria found in sprouts, including mung beans and alfalfa sprouts, which have become popular as the 'organic' marketing machine has grown into a juggernaut. The issue is compounded because advocacy groups like Health Canada insist most sprouts, including alfalfa sprouts, can only be eaten raw. That means they are not exposed to temperatures high enough to kill bacteria.
The recent testing found high levels of enterococci bacteria, an indicator of fecal contamination. Feces is obviously the most organic fertilizer in nature - but there's organic and then there's being silly about not preparing food properly.
Kevin Allen, a microbiology professor at the University of British Columbia, told CBC News, "Personally, I don't consume sprouts and I would not feed them to my children, either."
Obviously that's a parental choice - you can feed sprouts to your kids, just avoid advocacy-based evidence and cook the things unless you grew them yourself.
