Illegal mung bean sprout production uncovered in Czech Republic

Inspectors at the Czech Republic’s food agency and police have found illegal production of mung bean sprouts. The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (SZPI) and police officers from Prague discovered the unregistered business operating from a house in the Šeberov area of the capital. Officials identified sprouts were grown and produced in unsatisfactory hygiene conditions and at an unauthorized premises so used a dye to make sure they could not be sold and the owner was ordered to destroy 120 kilograms of product. Risky food Growing and production of mung bean sprouts is a microbiologically risky process, according to SZPI. Establishments where germination takes place must tell authorities and be approved before production of sprouts is started. Ahead of approval, the producer has to be inspected and comply with legal requirements. Specific microbiological criteria related to growing of a foodstuff susceptible to bacterial contamination, such as Shiga toxin-producing ...