E Coli Outbreak

[Paul McKeown]

It looks like the source has now been identified: bean-sprouts.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Hopefully ones in Germany, as I just ate some (cooked) ones today. I'd been avoiding cucumbers!

[George Szaszvari]

It looks like the source has now been identified: bean-sprouts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/world ... ecoli.html

Now they ain't sure where it's coming from while the "blame game" goes into overdrive. Be safe and thoroughly
COOK your veggies, as one contributor here sensibly did. Generous use of garlic, vinegar (especially on fish &
chips, mmmm), balsamic vinegar if you must have salads, or apple cider vinegar (as a drink) with a couple of
spoons of honey mixed in, with their natural antibiotic properties, might also help save a life or two.

[Paul McKeown]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/world ... ecoli.html

Now they ain't sure where it's coming from while the "blame game" goes into overdrive. Be safe and thoroughly
COOK your veggies, as one contributor here sensibly did. Generous use of garlic, vinegar (especially on fish &
chips, mmmm), balsamic vinegar if you must have salads, or apple cider vinegar (as a drink) with a couple of
spoons of honey mixed in, with their natural antibiotic properties, might also help save a life or two.

I think you will find that it really was bean sprouts. It was initially reported last week that German epidemiologists had established the link using statistical methods suggesting very high levels of probability; journos then leapt without justification on the fact that no infection had been found at the bean sprout farm which was identified by the epidemiologists to suggest that the source was still unidentified. The responsible German authorities released their studies today and reiterated their understanding that bean sprouts were indeed the source, whether or not any current infectious agent can be found. [Cue conspiracy theories...]

The farm concerned said that it didn't use any natural fertilisers (i.e. mammalian - particularly bovine - dung), therefore it was innocent. It would say that. It imported its seed, however, from Far Eastern sources which liberally dose the plants with natural fertiliser. Then the German farm germinated the seed in a hydroponic kettle at body temperature, as do bean sprout farms all over the world. A bacterial paradise... it appears that bean sprouts have been implicated in rather a number of serious outbreaks of food poisoning over score years.

I won't ever eat raw bean sprouts again. That seems like a justifiable food "panic".

[George Szaszvari]

I won't ever eat raw bean sprouts again. That seems like a justifiable food "panic".

Right... I do love a good stir fry with bean sprouts, but now the bean sprouts go into the hot sesame
oil with the cubed chicken, or pork, etc, sprinkled with Chinese Five Spice powder, until well caramelized,
only then followed by a dash of soy sauce, the other veggies, herbs and seasonings, etc...mmm