The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control Sunday urged consumers to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts, including sprout blends that may contain alfalfa sprouts, until further notice because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. Other sprouts have not yet been implicated.

The agencies reported that 31 people in six states--Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia—have fallen ill since mid-March after eating alfalfa sprouts.

Salmonella infections usually cause discomfort for most people but can be fatal for young children, the elderly and infirm, and those with compromised immune systems.

The FDA is at work to more clearly identify which sprouts pose a danger so that the blanket ban can be lifted.

Photo by iStockphoto.com/ © Roberto Adrian

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