The federal food watchdog is warning the public not to eat some mung bean sprouts being sold in Ontario and some parts of Quebec because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the affected sprouts were produced by Toronto Sun Wah or Hollend Enterprises.

The bean sprouts' packaging may not bear the names of either company, the watchdog warned in an advisory issued on the weekend.

The mung bean sprouts are being sold in packages of various weights in Ontario and may also have been distributed in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue area of Quebec.

The agency said people who purchased mung bean sprouts and weren't sure of the manufacturer should contact the store where they bought them.

Food contaminated with salmonella bacteria may not look or smell spoiled.

The bacteria cause salmonellosis, a food-borne illness that can cause severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever and headache. It can lead to complications such as dehydration.

In rare cases, the bacteria can kill people who are very young or elderly, or who have weakened immune systems.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it issued the warning as part of a continuing investigation.

Food inspectors deemed there was "sufficient risk" even though the source of the contamination had not been pinned down, the advisory said.

Since the start of October, there have been hundreds of cases of salmonellosis reported in Ontario.

Every year, 6,000 to 12,000 cases of salmonella illness are reported across the country.