21 CFR § 112.148 - What actions must I take if the samples of spent sprout irrigation water or sprouts test positive for a pathogen?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t21/s112.148"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "21 CFR § 112.148 - What actions must I take if the samples of spent sprout irrigation water or sprouts test positive for a pathogen?"
title_number: 21
title_name: "Food and Drugs"
section_number: "112.148"
section_name: "What actions must I take if the samples of spent sprout irrigation water or sprouts test positive for a pathogen?"
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"
---


# 112.148 What actions must I take if the samples of spent sprout irrigation water or sprouts test positive for a pathogen?

You must, at a minimum, take the following actions if the samples of spent sprout irrigation water or sprouts test positive for *E. coli* O157:H7, *Salmonella* species, or a pathogen meeting the criteria in § 112.144(c):

(a) Take appropriate action to prevent any food that is adulterated under section 402 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act from entering into commerce;

(b) Take the steps required in § 112.142(b) with respect to the lot of seeds or beans used to grow the affected production batch of sprouts (except as allowed under § 112.142(c));

(c) Clean and sanitize the affected surfaces and surrounding areas; and

(d) Perform any other actions necessary to prevent reoccurrence of the contamination.