Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP

Mairead McGuinness, Ireland East Fine Gael MEP has called for the European Commission to step-up its efforts to determine the source of the eColi contamination crisis.

“This is a very serious crisis with 16 deaths in Germany and one in Sweden. It is very worrying that we appear to still be so far off finding the source and being in a position to stem any further damage,” she said.

“It is incumbent upon the EU Commission to accelerate the investigation and to remove the element of inter country dispute about what is possibly the largest outbreak of an illness associated with fresh produce.

“It is hard to call for calm in the midst of such a serious problem and a lack of clarity about the source of the problem.

“Confusion has reined. The EU Commission must step up efforts to get to the core of it and protect human health and lives.”

The German authorities are continuing their investigation into the ongoing outbreak of Verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC).

“No food source has been identified by the German authorities as the definitive source of the outbreak. Reports from Germany have found VTEC on Spanish cucumbers but a direct link to the outbreak strain has not been confirmed.”

McGuinness said that while the threat to human health is the most serious, the crisis also has financial implications for vegetable producers, especially those who produce salads, cucumbers and tomatoes.

“It proves beyond any doubt the need for full traceability in the food chain,” she said.

The issue will be debated in the European Parliament in Strasbourg next week.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is liaising with the European Commission.