British seeds company blamed for E coli outbreak in France
28 Jun 2011
Britain's Food Standards Agency has recommended that sprouted seeds be cooked thoroughly before consumption, and advised against eating them raw, following an outbreak of E coli poisoning in France.
"Following further cases of E. coli in France, the FSA is revising its guidance on the consumption of sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, mung beans -- usually known as bean sprouts -- and fenugreek," said an updated statement issued over the weekend.
"As a precaution, the Agency is advising that sprouted seeds should only be eaten if they have been cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout; they should not be eaten raw," it added on Saturday.
A British mail order plant and seed company, Thompson & Morgan, has meanwhile denied claims that the French outbreak might have been caused by its products.
The Ipswich, eastern-England based company is co-operating with the investigation into the matter.
The FSA has already stressed that no cases of such food poisoning had been reported in Britain.
