Jimmy John’s Restaurants Stop Serving Alfalfa Sprouts Following Salmonella Outbreak

Jimmy John's restaurants in Illinois are pulling a key ingredient from their sandwiches.

The company announced Tuesday that it will temporarily discontinue alfalfa sprouts, which are linked to dozens of salmonella outbreaks in nine counties, including Champaign, McLean, and Cook.

"As a good faith and good will gesture, I am asking Illinois stores to pull sprouts until the state can give us some better direction," restaurant owner Jimmy John said in a statement.

The company said its main supplier of sprouts was tested for salmonella last week, and came up negative. There have been no reported cases in recent weeks of people in Illinois becoming ill after eating the sprouts, but the state's Public Health Department is investigating the restaurant's food suppliers and producers. The reported incidents took place between November and early December.

People who eat alfalfa sprouts and become ill with diarrhea and a fever should contact a physician. Illness usually wears off after three to seven days.