Egypt Denies Local Fenugreek Seeds Caused E.coli
Egyptian fenugreek seeds suspected by European food inspectors to have caused a deadly E. coli outbreak were not contaminated, the Egyptian agriculture minister said Wednesday, citing lab tests.
The European Food Safety Authority has said one lot of fenugreek seeds from Egypt was probably the source of the recent food poisoning outbreaks in Germany and France. The EU has banned imports of Egyptian fenugreek seeds until Oct. 31 and directed its members destroy all seeds from “one Egyptian exporter” received between 2009 and 2011.
However, Egyptian Agriculture Minister Ayman Abou Hadid said lab tests of the seeds produced by that exporter showed the E. coli strain was not present. He did not elaborate. Officials have not released the name of the exporter.
Fenugreek seeds from the suspect Egyptian lot – about 15,000 kilograms – were sent to one large German distributor, the agency said. Those seeds were then sold to 70 different companies, 54 of them in Germany, the center of the outbreak, and to 16 companies in 11 other European countries.
Fenugreek is a clover-shaped plant whose leaves are commonly used as an herb and also in Indian curries. The seeds are often sold dried, and if they are contaminated with E. coli, the bacteria can survive for years.
So far, the strain has killed 51 people, including 49 in Germany and one each in Sweden and the U.S.
More than 4,000 people in Germany have fallen sick since the outbreak was detected in May, including 851 who have developed a serious complication that can lead to kidney failure. The same bacteria was also responsible for a much smaller outbreak in France last month.
Scientists said it is possible only a small part of the lot was infected, which might explain why there weren’t more cases given how widely they were sold.
- Florida’s Home Insurance Industry May Be Worse Than Anyone Realizes
- ‘Fearless Girl’ Lawsuit by State Street Settles on Eve of Trial
- 4,800 Claims Handled by Unlicensed Adjusters in Florida After Irma, Lawsuit Says
- Jury Awards $80M to 3 Former Zurich NA Employees for Wrongful Termination
- EVs Head for Junkyard as Mechanic Shortage Inflates Repair Costs
- California Chiropractor Sentenced to 54 Years for $150M Workers’ Comp Scheme
- Report: Vehicle Complexity, Labor ‘Reshaping’ Auto Insurance and Collision Repair
- Millions of Recalled Hyundai and Kia Vehicles, With Dangerous Defect, Remain on Road