Wendy WilliamsSPANISH farmers could see millions in compensation after it has been confirmed the cause of the deadly E.coli outbreak was most likely German bean sprouts and not Spanish cucumbers.
The aggressive strain of the E coli bacterium – that has so far killed 22 people and left more than 2,200 ill – has been traced to a farm in the Uelzen district, south of Hamburg.
State agriculture minister, Gert Lindemann, told a news conference there appeared to be clear links between vegetables from the farm and food eaten by some victims.
“This is for us the most plausible cause of the illness,” he said.
Now pressure is set to increase on German officials who initially blamed the outbreak on Spanish cucumbers.
The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has already said he will demand compensation for economic losses after many Spanish farms were forced to stop selling their products.
And German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised to consider EU compensation for Spain.
The German leader told Zapatero she regretted the damage suffered to Spain’s producers but added she believed Hamburg had acted legally.
A meeting of EU farm ministers is now scheduled to take place on June 17, to discuss possible assistance to Europe’s fruit and vegetable farmers.
Spain is quick to ask for compensation for this issue, but is slow to compensate property owners who have been abused by Spain’s disgraceful planning and legal sectors. As for the cucumber incident, the full truth of this may never be known.
German investigators actually found E-Coli bacteria on Spanish cucumbers and subsequently posted a warning Not to eat Spanish cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce …….. after tests two days later, it was reported that the strain of E-Coli from the Spanish cucumbers were not the same BUT nevertheless E-Coli ……
so easy on the compensation ……. everybody (except the gullible EU paymasters) know the the Almeria Fruit & Veg Mafia is doctoring numbers triplicating loses after they kicked out 90% of the mostly illegal workers without a dime in compensation.
Anita,
excellant factual post but there are sure to be Spanish denialists appearing soon to tell you – you are liar.
I have read a statement from the organic farmer who appears to be ‘the most plausible’ reason for the outbreak.
Since he uses only water to sprout the Mung beans and has no animal waste on his farm which has been in operation for over 30 years – could it be water supplied by the local authorities that is the cause of the E-coli outbreak, if indeed his farm is the source.
For those who don’t know E-coli can only come from faecal material. Where I live in France, the farmers make no attempt to properly rot down this material that comes from pigs and cows, so their soil is contaminated with E-coli.
My garden has never had animals on it,nor have pigs and sheep ever been in the immediate vicinity so I can trust to eat the vegetables I grow here.
What is most surprising is that this strain of E-coli is resistent to no fewer than eight different penicillin strains, so it looks like it was produced in a laboratory.
The German farm in question tested NEGATIVE for for the bacterium, so this is not the sprouts, per se. The OP jumps the gun too quickly on these stories. Try using the word “may” be to blame. The Germans always said the issue “might” be Spanish cucumbers.
You are a lucky man Stuart, growing your own is the safest way to go ……. until I have read that the bacteria may have been in the sprout seeds ????? Sounds scary and def. Laboratory to me but of course I will positively Not confirm until maybe all the data is confused by the authorities …….
What is wrong with this OP headline
SPANISH farmers could see millions in compensation after it has been confirmed the cause of the deadly E.coli outbreak was most likely German bean sprouts and not Spanish cucumbers.
…. its confirmed that it was most likely ??
I would prefer:
SPANISH farmers will see millions of Euros in Monopoly money after and not before it has been confirmed that the cause of the deadly E.coli outbreak was maybe most likely German Kraut sprouts and/or not Spanish Gurken.
During the swine flue outbreak that originated in Mexico. Massive numbers of illnesses were reported in Mexico long before Mexico was identified as the source.
Where are the sick Spanish people?
Have they been burried in Mass graves along with victims of Franco’s regime?
Or did they cleverly export them to Germany as part of a massive coverup?