What characteristic causes raw alfalfa sprouts to be highly susceptible to harmful bacterial contamination?
Answer
Their warm and moist growing conditions are ideal for pathogens.
The critical vulnerability of raw alfalfa sprouts lies in the environmental conditions utilized during their cultivation process. Sprouts require environments that are kept warm and moist to encourage rapid growth. These exact conditions—warmth and moisture—are precisely what pathogens, including harmful bacteria like *E. coli* and *Salmonella*, require to thrive and multiply rapidly, leading to a high risk of contamination that is much less prevalent in dried, processed materials.
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