O F T E N I M I TAT E D , N E V E R B E T T E R E D . Issue 706
03 June 2011 - 09 June 2011
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Cue for a fiasco! Spain not to blame for E. coli outbreak, but industry loses 200m euros in a week THE great cucumber fiasco was revealed this week when Germany admitted it had falsely accused Spanish producers of spreading the deadly E. coli bug throughout their country. So far, 18 people have died and more than 1,000 people have been infected, 373 of whom are seriously ill, because of the outbreak. On Wednesday, The European Commission lifted its health warning over Spanish cucumbers from Almeria - where the problem was supposed to have arisen - after receiving a phone call from Leire Pajin, the Spanish Minister for Health. Yet Germans are still being advised not to eat any raw produce, and their farmers have had to destroy lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and vegetables in a drive to prevent the bacteria spreading. It does not seem to have affected Canary Island growers, or distributors, because the supermarkets here in Tenerife have had their vegetable shelves piled high with cucumbers throughout the controversy. In Tenerife, Agricultural Minister, Jose Joaquin Bethencourt told Canarian Weekly. “Don’t let the recent scare put you off Canary Island produce. I’m very sorry for the deaths that have occurred, but, the source of the cucumbers was from somewhere else, not Spain, including the Canary Islands. We provide high quality, guaranteed produce. There are strict controls in place, you have nothing to worry about,” The Canary Islands export fresh produce to other parts of Europe, a trade which has built up since the traditional market of Canarian tomatoes. But the
The European Commission has lifted its warning over Spanish cucumbers suspected of causing an E.coli outbreak
controversy has shaken European agriculture to the core, especially in Spain, and Rosa Aguilar, Spain’s Agriculture Minister, says the country will be seeking damages from the EU and Germany. She was so determined to prove the Germans wrong that she even ate a homegrown cucumber on live television on Tuesday. It was her protest against the initial suggestion by Hamburg scientists that Iberian cucumbers were likely to have sparked the outbreak. Within hours, German Agriculture Secretary Robert Kloos admitted at an EU farm ministers’ meeting in Hungary: “Germany recognises that the Spanish cucumbers are not the cause.” E. coli is short for Escherichia coli, which is a type of bacteria present in the gut of humans and some animals. Most strains are harmless, but some are able to produce toxins that can cause symptoms such as severe cramps and diarrhoea. This particular outbreak is causing severe infections and, in a number of cases, is also affecting the blood and
kidneys. To add to the problems engulfing Europe, the World Health Organisation revealed yesterday (Thursday) that the E. coli bacteria was a strain that had never been detected before. Aguilar’s main concern is the devastating effect the accusation has had on Spanish produce since the German finger was pointed last week. Some 150,000 tons of Spanish fruit and vegetables have since piled up, with losses estimated at 200 million euros (£175m) so far, according to the Spanish Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Exporters (Fepex). The Spanish Agriculture Minister added: “We’ve asked for emergency EU aid to absorb the damage done - damage that’s irreversible. “We reserve the right to hold the Germans to account in this affair, and we are also asking for them to contribute financially to compensate for the damage caused to Spanish production. “We stress that you can’t make accusations without having proof. It has caused damage that is unfair, undue and absolutely unjustified,
Spain Agriculture minister Rosa Aguilar, who ate Spanish-grown cucumbers to prove they were safe
without evidence or motive.” British officials yesterday announced four new cases of E. coli, including three Britons who recently visited Germany, and a German person on holiday in England. Spanish farmers say that public fear of their produce not just cucumbers - has spread throughout Europe, with customers cancelling orders, and farm-workers being laid off in a country with 21% unemployment. The Spanish media have reported that Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Hungary, Sweden, Belgium and Russia have all been banning Spanish
cucumbers after what scientists say is one of the largestever E. coli outbreaks. “Spain will be demanding compensation for all European vegetable producers who have experienced losses because of the health scare,” said Aguilar. Earlier, Spanish vegetablegrowers accused German authorities of covering up the real cause of the outbreak, and asked Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to intervene. The source of the virulent strain of the bacteria is still not known, but scientists said the suspicions about vegetables or salads were
well-founded since cattle manure used in fertiliser can harbour E. coli. And Hamburg’s state health minister, Cornelia PrüferStorcks, the first German official to accuse Spain - last Thursday - insisted she was right to go public. She said preliminary test results from the Hamburg institute for hygiene and environment suggested Spanish cucumbers were the source. “It would have been irresponsible to withhold a wellfounded suspicion, given the high number of illnesses,” she added. As bickering continued, the death toll rose. In Boras, Sweden, authorities announced the death of woman in her 50s, who was admitted last Sunday after a trip to Germany. And in Paderborn, Germany, the local council said an 87year-old woman, who also had other ailments, had died. One American tourist has also been hospitalised in the Czech Republic with E. coli symptoms after also visiting Germany. Spain is the world’s biggest exporter of cucumber, fruit and vegetables and José María Pozancos, the Fepex Director General, said damage could run to 200 million euros every week if the “domino effect” continued across Europe. Pozancos insisted that Spain complied with all the health and safety regulations, and that the German government must compensate Spanish farmers for the damage to their reputation and credibility. Other Spanish growers have reportedly been “indignant” at Germany’s “wild accusations”, reminding the German authorities that there have been no problems with cucumbers consumed in Spain, or in other countries.