E.coli outbreak linked to contamination in soil
One person died and 250 fell ill during an outbreak of E.coli earlier this year – but the news has only just been made public.
People are being advised to wash fruit and vegetables carefully after an outbreak of E.coli linked to bacteria in soil.
74 people had to be treated in hospital – four of them suffering from a rare but serious digestive complication which can cause kidney failure. One patient, who died, had other underlying health problems.
The Health Protection Agency carried out a full investigation, involving farmers and growers as well as those who were affected by the bug.
The agency has not managed to pinpoint the exact cause, although it did manage to find a link with soil stuck around leeks and potatoes sold loose or in sacks, rather than those that were pre-packaged. There was no evidence to identify a particular retailer or outlet.
Dr Bob Adak, head of the outbreak control team, warned that leeks and potatoes might not be the only source, and stressed that all raw vegetable should be stored, washed and handled correctly.
“In this outbreak, which is now over, the vegetables could have carried traces of contaminated soil. It is possible people caught the infection from cross-contamination in storage, inadequate washing of loose vegetables, insufficient hand washing after handling the vegetables or by failing to thoroughly clean kitchen equipment, utensils or surfaces after preparing the vegetables.” he said.
Serious error of judgement?
Some MPs have complained that failing to tell the public about the outbreak for so long was a serious error of judgement.
It’s sadly a myth that a little bit of dirt doesn’t do you any harm. Dr Andrew Wadge, Food Standards Authority
But officials said they had waited until they had robust evidence that didn’t implicate the wrong produce – and were concerned that more people would start buying and cooking potatoes and leeks now that the winter months were approaching.
Dr Andrew Wadge, chief scientist at the Food Standards Authority said “It’s sadly a myth that a little bit of dirt doesn’t do you any harm… although food producers have got good systems in place to clean vegetables, the risk can never entirely be eliminated.”
Fears over potential lost business
In the wake of the German E.coli outbreak – which left 24 people dead and infected thousands – farmers here are anxious to press home the message that vegetables, correctly handled, are perfectly safe to eat.
Potato and leek crops are worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the UK economy. And even though the German outbreak had no links to British produce, it still cost growers here some ten million pounds in lost business.
Before you cut out the five a day from your diet, it is important to remember that the risk of contracting E.coli is still small compared to the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables.
According to Dr Chris Hartfield, from the National Farmers Union, a food scare is in nobody’s interest. “There is one clear, important message: wash all raw vegetables unless it says on the packaging that it’s pre-washed and ready to eat.”