Food Office - Early information re E.coli

[Penny]

E.coli outbreak in Germany
Thursday 26 May 2011

The Agency is aware of the serious E.coli outbreak that is currently taking place in Germany. We are monitoring the situation closely and if there are any implications for food distributed in the UK we will provide an update.

Science behind the storyHaemolytic uraemic syndrome is a serious complication of some types of E.coli infection. This outbreak has been associated with a rare strain of E.coli (O104).

An association with the consumption of contaminated raw vegetables has been suggested as being the likely cause of the outbreak, but this has not been confirmed.
What you can doIt's a good idea to wash fruit and vegetables before you eat them to ensure that they are clean, and to help remove germs that might be on the outside. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove these germs.
Thought this worth reading. cheers Penny