Sprout your own

E coli outbreak linked to bean sprouts

German bean sprouts were yesterday identified as the likely source of the E coli outbreak that has killed 22 people, caused chaos among Europe's vegetable growers and sparked a diplomatic row between Russia and the EU.


The state of Lower Saxony issued an urgent warning to stop eating bean sprouts on Sunday as it believes them to be the link between all the restaurants and food outlets in the outbreak. "We've a very strong lead linking a bean sprout company to the cases of E coli infection," said Gerd Lindemann, the state's agricultural minister.


Many of the restaurants in the outbreak had the sprouts delivered from Uelzen, a town in Lower Saxony in north Germany. A factory there produces 18 sorts of sprouts, from alfalfa and aduki bean sprouts, to sprouts from radish and sunflower seeds. Their cultivation in large steam drums at 38C creates ideal conditions for various types of bacteria to grow.

So it is not only Grow Your own, it is also Sprout Your Own. Know where your food/meal comes from.