Sprouts such as alfalfa (lucerne) or leek and their seeds are the main topic of this food safety research. We aim to answer the following questions: how does Salmonella and verotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC) survive on seeds intended for sprouting? How effective are the current sampling plans? How effective are the current detection methods for Salmonella and VTEC on seeds intended for sprouting and sprouts? What is the efficacy of different decontamination techniques to reduce the Salmonella and VTEC-level on seeds, and what is the effect on the natural background microbiota? Finally, the project has also the goal to investigate the development of Salmonella and VTEC in combination with the naturally present competitive background microbiota throughout the production chain of sprouting seeds, taking into consideration indicator organisms such as generic E. coli.