21 CFR § 112.144 - What testing must I do during growing, harvesting, packing, and holding sprouts?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t21/s112.144"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "21 CFR § 112.144 - What testing must I do during growing, harvesting, packing, and holding sprouts?"
title_number: 21
title_name: "Food and Drugs"
section_number: "112.144"
section_name: "What testing must I do during growing, harvesting, packing, and holding sprouts?"
chapter_name: "FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION"
part_number: "112"
part_name: "STANDARDS FOR THE GROWING, HARVESTING, PACKING, AND HOLDING OF PRODUCE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "21 U.S.C. 321, 331, 342, 350h, 371; 42 U.S.C. 243, 264, 271."
regulatory_source: "80 FR 74547, Nov. 27, 2015, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "112"
---


# 112.144 What testing must I do during growing, harvesting, packing, and holding sprouts?

All of the following testing must be done during growing, harvesting, packing, and holding sprouts:

(a) You must test the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding environment for *Listeria* species or *L. monocytogenes* in accordance with the requirements of § 112.145.

(b) You must either:

(1) Test spent sprout irrigation water from each production batch of sprouts for *E. coli* O157:H7, *Salmonella* species, and any pathogens meeting the criteria in paragraph (c) of this section, in accordance with the requirements of § 112.147; or

(2) If testing spent sprout irrigation water is not practicable (for example, soil-grown sprouts harvested with roots or for hydroponically grown sprouts that use very little water), test each production batch of sprouts at the in-process stage (*i.e.,* while sprouts are still growing) for *E. coli* O157:H7, *Salmonella* species, and any pathogens meeting the criteria in paragraph (c) of this section, in accordance with the requirements of § 112.147.

(c) In addition to *E. coli* O157:H7 and *Salmonella* species, you must conduct tests as provided in paragraph (b) of this section for additional pathogens when the following conditions are met:

(1) Testing for the pathogen is reasonably necessary to minimize the risk of serious adverse health consequences or death from use of, or exposure to, sprouts; and

(2) A scientifically valid test method for the pathogen is available to detect the pathogen in spent sprout irrigation water (or sprouts).