Choose your sprouts carefully
Apparently its now thought that fenugreek seeds sourced in Egypt were the cause of the recent outbreaks in Germany and France. I suggest you read today's Update on E.coli O104 outbreaks from EFSA and draw your own conclusions.
The update tells us that the particular batch of fenugreek seeds has been withdrawn from sale and a temporary ban placed on importing fenugreek and certain seeds, beans and sprouts from Egypt. In the case of the seeds, its only if these are to be sprouted. Ground spices are unaffected.
And I quote, "evidence linking the two outbreaks to the implicated batch of fenugreek seeds is not definitive and investigations are continuing in all European countries".
Related News & Blogs
Food security is within our reach – if we innovate today, we can feed more people tomorrow
Food security is within our reach. Discover four ways innovation is helping to build more resilient agrifood systems, from bioprotection products and digital advisory tools to pesticide risk reduction and empowering women farmers.
15 October 2026
