E.coli controls eased as fresh Egyptian produce cleared for EU import

The European Commission (EC) has removed fresh and chilled peas and beans from the list of Egyptian products that it has been illegal to import since July.

Following an EC audit of production sites in Egypt, the EC has now removed these products from its list of seeds, sprouted seeds, and beans forbidden for import to the European Union.

An emergency ban on the import of fenugreek and certain seeds, sprouted seeds and beans from Egypt was originally scheduled to last until October 31, 2011.

It followed two deadly outbreaks of E.coli O104 in Germany and France this spring, which killed over 60 people and sickened more than 3,000.

A European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report into the source of the outbreaks concluded that the most likely link between the German and French outbreaks was a contaminated batch of fenugreek seeds from Egypt, which led to the temporary ban.