Minn. Consumer Advisory Issued for Potentially Contaminated Sprouts

The Minnesota state Agriculture Department recently advised consumers to avoid eating sprout products made by Calco Sprouts Inc. and sold at stores in Minnesota, saying the products might have been contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

There were no reports of illness associated with eating the sprouts, the agency said.

The contamination was first detected in a sample collected during a routine store inspection, said Heidi Kassenborg, the acting director of the agency’s dairy and food division. Investigators were working to determine the source of the contamination.

Minneapolis-based Calco Sprouts Inc., which grew and packaged the sprouts _ including radish, alfalfa and bean sprouts _ issued a voluntary product withdrawal, according to the Agriculture Department. The sprouts were distributed to retail stores and restaurants around the state.

A call left at the company’s headquarters wasn’t immediately returned.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a potentially serious disease marked by fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea