While raw fish and meats are known to carry bacteria, sprouts (including clover and mung bean sprouts) are an unsuspecting perpetrator. The innocuous vegetable in its various forms is grown in warm, humid conditions, ideal for bacteria to flourish. In 2011 bean sprouts grown in Germany and contaminated with E. coli were thought to have killed 29 people and caused serious illness in around 3,000 others. There have been numerous ‘sproutbreaks’ reported in the USA since the 1990s too. Only consume any kind of raw sprout labelled 'ready to eat' – all others should be cooked thoroughly. Children, elderly people and pregnant woman should avoid raw sprouts altogether.

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