Re: Market? & FDA

[Guest guest]

Sprouts are considered 'ready to eat'. Freshly picked produce is not ready to

eat by FDA standards and it is considered general knowledge that produce must be

thoroughly washed before consumption. Sprouts are not considered a growing plant

unless in a medium whereby it may develop roots and ingest nutrients required

for further development. There is also the issue of the perishable aspect of the

sprout vs that of a growing plant. Hope this helps to understand the powers that

be...

________________________________

To: sproutpeople

Sent: Thu, December 22, 2011 8:30:22 AM

Subject: Re: Market?

> Before I go any further, I should ask: Does anyone sell at their local market?

>Care to offer any advice?

I also have been trying to start a sprout business. It turns out that they are

not regulated by individual states' agriculture, they are regulated by the FDA.

Found the following:

" Government regulations that apply to production processes and facilities are

being examined and may become more stringent. Growing sprouts has been defined

by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food processing activity, not an

agricultural one. As a result, FDA (not USDA) regulates the production process

and the facilities in which sprouts are grown. "

I was told that on a small operation level, they must be GROWN in a commercial

kitchen environment (with all the inspections and license that entails). Larger

operations of course will have commercial barns with a larger operation

environment.

I am hesitant to run afoul of the FDA and their mighty large fine system. I am

still forging ahead to get a growing room that will appease the FDA. It's not

inexpensive.

I did try to argue with them that sprouts are GROWING plants (not just a

processed food). sprouts are cleaner when they are ready to eat than potatoes

and carrots I have seen for sale at farmer's markets and other produce that is

quiet dirty. The sprout grower has cleaner produce than so many of those farmers

that we all know of that just pull stuff out of the ground, throw it in the back

of their pickup and drive to market and sell (though that certainly is a small

percent. Most farmer's market vendors are fastidious about their products).

But talking to them was like pushing water with my hands: they would have none

of it.

Just wanted to share what I have found.

M. White