Nutrition of the Future:
How a Broccoli Seed Becomes a BroccoSprout®

Establishing Safe Growing and Harvesting Methods

Food safety is a fundamental principle of Brassica Protection Products' (BPP) mission. The Brassica Sprout Safety Program provides the processes and systems designed to ensure the safe, wholesome and uniform production of BroccoSprouts^® broccoli sprouts throughout the network of sprouting facilities selected by BPP. Careful adherence to standards and procedures is required of all facilities producing BroccoSprouts.

The Brassica Facility Compliance and Pathogen Reduction and HACCP Program:

Brassica is a leader in the industry for food safety. These programs are the most stringent in the industry, which means that only the most qualified growers are capable of meeting the requirements for membership in the Brassica program.

Seed Supply:

All Brassica sprout facilities must purchase their seed from a certified seed supplier. Brassica requires superior seed quality to maintain its food safety standards, and only Caudill Seed Company of Louisville, Kentucky has met the rigid standards for seed production and storage. They directly supervise the growing and harvesting of the specified seed and then ship them to a network of carefully selected sprout growers located nationwide. These seed varieties were identified by Johns Hopkins researchers to contain the highest level of SGS™ (sulforaphane glucosinolate), a naturally occurring plant compound that supports antioxidant function. BroccoSprouts are the only sprout guaranteed to contain 20 times the concentration of SGS as mature, cooked broccoli. Caudill Seed has 250,000 square feet of American Institute of Bakers (AIB)- and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-compliant food grade storage and cold storage for more than one million pounds of seed.

Seed Sanitation:

The Johns Hopkins-certified broccoli seed is specially selected for its high levels of SGS. The seeds are shipped to sprout-growing facilities where they are washed. All BroccoSprouts-growing facilities must adhere to high-quality safety control procedures. Growers are required to submit weekly sprout samples for testing and pass regular on-site inspections. Brassica requires all seeds to be soaked and sterilized with 20,000 PPM calcium hypochlorite prior to sprouting following FDA-recommended protocols. The seeds are then extensively rinsed to remove all of the remaining residue. This sanitation step is crucial for food safety.

Growing:

BroccoSprouts are grown naturally, using only water and light. After the broccoli seeds are cleaned, they are moved to a growing room that is kept at a constant room temperature and bathed in round-the-clock fluorescent light. This controlled environment ensures high-quality, uniform sprouts. The seeds are placed in round, opaque growing drums. The tanks are turned every 15 minutes to keep the seeds at a constant temperature, and they are gently misted with water every 20 minutes for 12 seconds.

Harvesting:

After growing for three to four days, BroccoSprouts are harvested from the growing drums. Husks (broccoli seed shells) are removed from the sprouts in a washing tank and the sprouts are spun dry for a few minutes. Removing the husks and drying the sprouts extends shelf life.

Hold and Release Testing:

Brassica recognizes that there have been reported pathogens associated with sprouts. To ensure that BPP's customers receive a safe product, all sprouts are tested for Salmonella and E. coli BEFORE they are sent to the marketplace. There is no better way to guarantee a safe product than to test each and every batch before it leaves the facility. All sprouts must pass these safety tests before they are shipped.

Shipping:

BroccoSprouts are packed in plastic packages, placed in cardboard boxes and refrigerated prior to shipment. Within two days, BroccoSprouts are delivered, via refrigerated delivery trucks, to supermarkets and specialty stores.