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European E. Coli Outbreaks Could Recur at Any Time in the Next Three Years

A grim scientific report links fenugreek seeds to a deadly E. coli outbreak affecting thousands across Europe. Find out more!

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Fenugreek seeds

The European Food Safety Authority has released a scientific report

on the deadly E. coli outbreak

that has sickened more than 3,500 people and killed at least 44 in the last seven weeks, and the news is grim: the apparent source of the contamination, a shipment of fenugreek seeds from Egypt, has been scattered all across the continent, making recall tricky and new outbreaks likely until the seed packets reach their expiration date in three years. Maryn McKenna of Superbug expertly breaks down the report

in all its chilling detail:

The seeds took a tortuous path. That initial shipment — which was immense, 15,000 kg (33,000 lbs) — was containerized at the port of Damietta in Egypt, shipped by boat to Antwerp in Belgium, went by barge to Rotterdam in the Netherlands where it passed customs, and then was trucked to Germany. There, an importer broke up the ...

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