A deadly E. coli outbreak in the UK earlier this year was kept secret by authorities, with the trade now braced for a PR catastrophe as the government prepares to pinpoint potatoes and leeks as the cause.
Some 250 people in the UK were diagnosed with E. coli O157 - a different strain to the one that caused panic across Europe in June - between December 2010 and July 2011, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) will reveal today. Of those taken ill, 74 people ended up in hospital, and one patient with underlying health problems died.
In an announcement high on drama but low on specifics, HPA said there was a “statistically significant association with raw loose leeks and potatoes from sacks, but these vegetables may not be the only source of contamination”. It went on to state that the vegetables “could have carried traces of contaminated soil”.
The agency is calling on consumers to wash vegetables thoroughly and observe good kitchen hygiene.
Food Standards Agency chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: “It’s sadly a myth that a little bit of dirt doesn’t do you any harm. Soil can sometimes carry harmful bacteria and, although food producers have good systems in place to clean vegetables, the risk can never be entirely eliminated.”
No retailer, farm, supplier or country has as yet been identified as the source of the outbreak.
HPA defended the timing of the announcement by saying it wanted to allow the multi-agency Outbreak Control Team to complete its investigation, adding that sharing the findings with the public “enables them to take the necessary steps to minimise their risk of food poisoning”. A full report is expected to be released in due course.
The Fresh Produce Consortium slammed UK health authorities for failing to engage quickly with the industry and not identifying a definitive source of the outbreak.
FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney said: “Given the heightened sensitivities and devastating impact on the industry following the unrelated E. coli outbreaks in France and Germany, we are amazed at the HPA and FSA’s poor liaison with the industry.
“This decision to make a public statement without sharing their full findings with the industry and the public smacks of having a complete disregard for any consequences to the industry and on consumer confidence.”
However NFU horticultural adviser Chris Hartfield stressed that growers, via the NFU and levy bodies, were consulted over the last three months.
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