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EU bans Egyptian seeds after link to deadly E.coli
06.07.2011 10:12 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
The European Food Safety Authority EFSA.L said beyond France and Germany, where outbreaks of the deadly E. coli strain have made thousands ill in recent months, other European Union countries may have received batches of suspect seeds.
It urged the officials to make «all efforts» to prevent any further exposure and said consumers should not eat sprouts or sprouted seeds unless they are thoroughly cooked.
More than 4,100 people in Europe and North America have been infected in two outbreaks of E. coli infection one centred in northern Germany and one focused around the French city of Bordeaux.
Almost all of those affected in the first outbreak the deadliest on record lived in Germany or had recently travelled there. The infection has killed 48 people in Germany and one person in Sweden.
«An imported lot of fenugreek seeds which was used to grow sprouts imported from Egypt by a German importer is the most common likely link,» the EFSA said in a statement.
EU health commissioner John Dalli said that as a result of EFSAs findings, the EU would ban imports of all seeds and beans from Egypt until October 31.
«The report published today leads us to withdrawing some Egyptian seeds from the EU market and to a temporary ban on imports of all seeds and beans originating from that country,» he said in a statement.
The EFSA report said the contamination of the seeds with a highly toxic strain of E.coli had taken place «at some point prior to leaving the importer».
«Other lots of fenugreek imported from Egypt during the period 2009 to 2011 may be implicated,» EFSA said, adding that investigations should be carried out in all countries that may have received seeds from the lots concerned.
The European Commission said all fenugreek seeds exported to Europe since 2009 by the Egyptian company identified as the source of the contaminated batch must be withdrawn, tested and destroyed. It did not identifying the company involved.
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