Last week, the Michigan Department of Community Health issued a public health alert warning against eating raw clover sprouts — a topping on some Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches items — after two E. coli-related illnesses were reported and five more were suspected in central and southeast Michigan.
The people who were ill all had a common link — they had eaten raw clover sprouts from sandwich shops.
“What we know at this point is the genetic fingerprint matches the same fingerprint associated with a (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) investigation with Jimmy John’s in multiple states,” said Angela Minicuci, public information officer at the Michigan Department of Community Health. “We issued this public health alert because it is something we want the state of Michigan to be aware of.”
At this point, the department encourages people not to eat raw clover sprouts, and Minicuci said she believes Jimmy John’s has stopped carrying sprouts, although she could not speak on the store’s behalf.
There are three Jimmy John’s locations in East Lansing. A manager of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, 643 E. Grand River Ave., said the store is not carrying the sprouts at this time.
Jimmy John’s corporate office declined to comment on the possible sprouts link to E. coli.
Finance senior Claire Schwegman, who ordered a sproutless Beach Club sandwich from the Grand River location on Thursday and said she is not concerned with the E. coli outbreak.
“As long as it’s not in my sandwich, I don’t care,” Schwegman said.
Mathematics senior Andrew Melfi said although he had been unaware of the E. coli outbreak, he said he would still eat there if the sprouts hadn’t been pulled.
Food science and human nutrition professor Elliot Ryser said students should take the outbreak seriously, as it is part of a 15-year worldwide trend regarding the contamination of alfalfa seeds by E. coli bacteria.
Ryser personally does not purchase sprouts, and usually avoids eating them because the vegetable is at such a high risk of being contaminated with E. coli.
“Sprouts are grown in ideal incubation conditions,” Ryser said. “The bacteria grows really well.”
Minicuci said cases reported in Michigan so far have not been severe, as none of the illnesses have reached the level of Hemolytic-uremic syndrome, or HUS.
Ryser said HUS usually results in kidney failure, and students should see a doctor if they have severe diarrhea after eating sprouts, as that is one of the primary symptoms of E. coli-related illness.
“(Students) should watch for any sign of symptoms,” Ryser said. “Then they should seek the help of a physician if they’ve consumed the product.”
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