AS THE German authorities ruled out cucumbers from Spain as the source of the food poisoning that has killed 16 people and left 1,000 ill, Irish retailers removed the Spanish fruit from their shelves.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, which has been liaising with the European Commission, said today no food source had been identified by the Germans as the definitive source of the outbreaks.
“The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is liaising with the European Commission and based on information to date, none of the implicated cucumbers have been distributed to the Irish market,” said a statement last evening.
“The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is aware that SuperValu, Dunnes Stores and Lidl withdrew some Spanish organic cucumbers from sale last week, however this was on trade grounds only and not as a food safety measure,” it went on.
“The Food Safety Authority of Ireland can confirm that these cucumbers were not from the two suppliers in Spain that were named by the German authorities,” it said
The authority said it had no information from the European Commission to indicate any organic cucumbers from the named suppliers in Spain were distributed to Ireland.
The action taken by some retailers was not requested by the authority but was undertaken by the retailers themselves.
“It is important to note that there have been no reported cases of human illness in Ireland associated with the German outbreak strain of E. coli. Consumers do not need to be concerned,” said Prof Alan Reilly, the authority’s chief executive.
A SuperValu spokesman said that organic Spanish cucumbers were removed from shelves last Friday as a precaution, and that none of the product had been sold since.
Lidl also described the removal as a “precautionary step”, saying its produce was not affected by the outbreak.
The food poisoning outbreak has come at a very bad time for Irish cucumber producers, whose crop is just coming to the market.
The Department of Agriculture’s website, which monitors the Dublin wholesale vegetable market, said yesterday “interest in cucumbers was lack lustre” and returns were “on the floor”.
Vegetable growers fear the scare may lead to other vegetables and fruit sales becoming affected.
“Reports there is contamination of any vegetable anywhere in Europe hits all sales in every country as people buy alternatives. I hope they clear up this one soon,” said one north Dublin grower.