Sprouts not source of E.coli outbreak, initial tests show
Posted June 6, 2011 9:19 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Initial test results Monday indicated that sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany are not the source of the E.coli outbreak.
Cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes are also suspects in the deadliest known outbreak that has killed at least 22 people and sickened more than 2,000 others. Hundreds of people developed a rare kidney failure complication from the new, super-toxic strain of bacteria.
The German farm in the northern village of Bienenbuettel, between Hamburg and Hannover, was shut down Sunday and all its produce recalled as health officials awaited test results. Two staff members were also infected with E.coli.
The Lower-Saxony state’s agriculture ministry said 23 of 40 samples from the farm turned up negative for the bacteria. More tests are pending.
Klaus Verbeck who’s in charge of sprouts on the farm, said no manure or fertilizer is used, only water. The sprouts are grown with steam in barrels at 38 degrees Celsius. The water or seeds may have been contaminated.
