Findings of E. coli in lamb and flour has triggered a warning from German authorities.
Basic rules of kitchen hygiene, such as using different cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables, should be followed. Proper cooking is one of the best ways to avoid food poisoning from E. coli.
As part of zoonosis monitoring in Germany in 2020, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) were detected in 50 of 380 samples of fresh lamb.
Lamb from Germany was significantly more often STEC-positive than that from other countries with 36 of 190 samples positive compared to 12 of 177.
Consumers, especially small children, the elderly, the immunocompromised and pregnant women, should only consume lamb that has been well cooked, advised the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).
“An infection with STEC should not be underestimated. In children in particular, it can lead to the development of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is often associated with acute kidney failure,” said Friedel Cramer, BVL president.
STEC was detected in 22 of 242 samples of wheat flour from milling operations. Consumers can minimize this risk by not eating raw dough, cake batter or other foods containing raw flour. E. coli was also found in six of 318 samples of raw milk soft cheese sold at retail, from wholesale and at import points.
In total, 94 isolates belonged to 28 different O serogroups with O146 as the most common while O157 was not detected.
FoodWorld 