French lay blame on British seeds for E. coli outbreak

Independent
Matt Thomas

Minister calls for products to be withdrawn from sale, but admits 'no definitive link' to illness

Seeds from one of Britain's biggest mail order seed companies may have been linked to an E. coli outbreak in France, according to claims by Frédéric Lefebvre, the French secretary of state for consumer affairs.

He suggested that seed sprouts sold by the British company Thompson & Morgan were linked to eight suspected cases of E. coli poisoning in Bordeaux, south-western France. Thompson & Morgan said it sold "thousands of packets of seeds and has had no reported problems".

While officials said tests showed two people were infected by the same strain of E. coli as that found recently in Germany, they have not said whether there is a link between the two outbreaks.

Mr Lefebvre called on Friday for the company's mustard and rocket seed sprouts to be withdrawn from sale while an analysis was conducted. But he stressed that "the link between the symptoms and eating of the sprouts... has not been definitively established."

The French move was criticised yesterday by Stuart Agnew MEP, Ukip's agricultural spokesman, who said it was "irresponsible". "For the French ministry to even float the idea without hard evidence is like blaming a motor manufacturer for a drunk driver. It is obvious to me that they are trying to divert attention and spread the blame," he said.

How Did German Sprouts Become Contaminated?

Food Safety News
Gretchen Goetz

The German E. coli outbreak that has now claimed 37 lives and damaged fresh produce markets across Europe finally seems to be abating; but the question of how the suspect sprouts became contaminated remains unanswered.

Investigators are looking closely at whether the problem originated with sprout seeds.

After 5 workers on an organic farm in Bienenbüttel, Lower Saxony were confirmed to have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli, health authorities have been trying to figure out whether they could have transferred the germ onto the sprouts or whether the sprouts made them ill.

While investigators said the possibility of human introduction of the E. coli pathogen into the sprouts at the farm can't be ruled out, and that water and preceding suppliers are also possible sources, there is growing suspicion that the sprout seeds arrived at the farm already carrying the bacteria.

What health officials do know is that the 5 infected workers reported eating broccoli, garlic and fenugreek sprouts. Workers who had eaten alfalfa and spicy mix varieties of sprouts remained healthy, according to Der Spiegel.