Germany: Sprouts cause of E. coli outbreak

[News_Editor]

Germany: Sprouts cause of E. coli outbreak

2011-06-10 20:40:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

BERLIN, GERMANY (BNO NEWS) -- German health officials on Friday said contaminated sprouts were likely to have caused the E. coli outbreak, which has killed 30 people since May, local media reported.

The epidemiological investigation has gathered enough evidence to conclude that contaminated sprouts have been the cause of the nearly 3,000 cases of E. coli, Reinhard Burger, President of the Robert Koch Institute, which works within the German Federal Ministry of Health, told Deutsche Welle.

According to Burger, people that have consumed the sprouts are nine times more likely to suffer from bloody diarrhea, which is one of the symptoms produced by E. coli.

Along with the announcement, German health officials lifted its warning to consumers regarding the safety of cucumbers, fresh lettuce, and tomatoes. However, Burger emphasized that the outbreak was not over, cautioning Germans to avoid eating sprouts.

The E. coli outbreak frightened and caused panic among German citizens and other European nations, as it spread to at least 14 countries. The outbreak has also caused millions of euros in losses within the region's vegetable growers.

Last Wednesday, the European Union (EU) announced that it would pay at least 150 million euros ($218 million) in compensation to farmers affected for the E. coli outbreak, which is about 30 percent of the actual damages. However, the EU later raised the amount to 210 million euros ($304 million) in compensation, about 50 percent of the damages.

During the Council meeting, Spanish Agriculture Minister Rosa Aguilar said decrease in demand for Spanish vegetables was causing farmers 200 million euro ($291.57 million) in damages every week, as Spanish cucumber farmers demanded a compensation of 100 percent in lost revenues.

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