HAMBURG, Germany — German agricultural authorities on Sunday identified locally grown bean sprouts as the likely cause of an E. coli outbreak that has killed 22 people and sickened hundreds in Europe.
The Lower Saxony agriculture ministry was sending an alert Sunday warning people to stop eating the sprouts, which are often used in mixed salads, ministry spokesman Gert Hahne told The Associated Press.
"Bean sprouts have been identified as the product that likely caused the outbreak," Hahne said. "Many restaurants that suffered from an E.coli outbreak had those sprouts delivered."
Hahne said the sprouts were grown on a farm in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. He did not elaborate but planned a news conference later Sunday.
Hahne said while official test results have not yet conclusively shown that the Lower Saxony-grown sprouts were to blame, "all indications speak to them being" the cause.
Those damn sprouts. I knew there was somthing a little fishy about those sprouts. They thought they'd get away with it, ha! we'll show em' We will start eating raw eggs and chicken again!
The Lower Saxony agriculture ministry was sending an alert Sunday warning people to stop eating the sprouts, which are often used in mixed salads, ministry spokesman Gert Hahne told The Associated Press.
"Bean sprouts have been identified as the product that likely caused the outbreak," Hahne said. "Many restaurants that suffered from an E.coli outbreak had those sprouts delivered."
Hahne said the sprouts were grown on a farm in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. He did not elaborate but planned a news conference later Sunday.
Hahne said while official test results have not yet conclusively shown that the Lower Saxony-grown sprouts were to blame, "all indications speak to them being" the cause.
Those damn sprouts. I knew there was somthing a little fishy about those sprouts. They thought they'd get away with it, ha! we'll show em' We will start eating raw eggs and chicken again!
