ATTENTION SPROUT GROWERS:  If you haven’t seen it already, read the FDA’s industry guidance on "Reducing Microbial Food Safety Hazards on Sprouted Seeds."  If you have seen it, then see it again.  But don’t stop there:  make your employees see it, and then meet with your staff to determine the best ways to implement anything contained in the FDA guide that you haven’t already.  AND DON’T STOP THERE:  then contribute a little money or time to research and development so that the 33 outbreaks sprouts have caused since 1990 stays at 33 outbreaks, and the FDA stops telling people not to buy or consume your product.  That can’t be good for business. 

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Photo of Denis Stearns Denis Stearns

Denis Stearns, is of-counsel at Marler Clark, earned a BA in philosophy from Seattle University, and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He graduated from both schools with high honors, and won numerous awards for service and academic excellence.

Denis Stearns, is of-counsel at Marler Clark, earned a BA in philosophy from Seattle University, and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He graduated from both schools with high honors, and won numerous awards for service and academic excellence. Prior to being a partner at Marler Clark, Denis worked as one of the lead attorneys on the defense team that represented Jack in the Box against the hundreds of claims and lawsuits arising from the historic 1993 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. In this role, he obtained extensive knowledge of the meat and foodservice industry, health and safety regulations, HACCP and other food safety systems, epidemiology, and foodborne illness. He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues related to food safety law, administrative regulation, and public health policy.