DUBAI // European cucumbers were back on supermarket shelves in Abu Dhabi yesterday after a second phase of testing found no evidence of E.coli contamination.
The vegetables from Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark were removed hours after the Ministry of Environment and Water imposed a temporary import ban from Wednesday.
However, testing yesterday at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) laboratories gave the all clear. "Until now we have not found any E.coli on the vegetables we have tested," said Mohammed al Reyaysa, the communications director at the ADFCA.
"We are confident that we are not affected by the E.coli strain that has been reported in Europe."
Other vegetables from the banned list of countries may enter the UAE only if importers present a health certificate stating it is free from E.coli from the country of origin.
The produce then undergoes more testing before being allowed to go on sale.
Dubai Municipality, which had imposed its own ban on imports including tomatoes and lettuce from the same countries on Tuesday, also said no E.coli had been found.
"The issue we have is that there is a lot of confusion and mixed signals coming from authorities in Europe about the source of the contamination," said a spokesman for Dubai Municipality's Food Control Department.
"We are waiting for some more concrete information from international health agencies and then we can act accordingly."
The outbreak of the haemolytic uraemic syndrome - caused by a strain of the E.coli bacteria that produces Shiga toxin - was first reported in Germany four weeks ago. The World Health Organisation said yesterday the strain was previously unknown.
The outbreak has now claimed 17 lives - 16 in Germany and one in Sweden - and made more than 1,500 people ill across the continent.
Chinese scientists at the Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, who have analysed the strain, said it carried genes that made it resistant to some classes of antibiotics. It was highly toxic and highly infectious, they said.
German health officials initially pointed to Spanish organic cucumbers as the source of contamination but have since admitted they do not now know where it came from.
Speaking to a German parliamentary committee, Reinhard Burger, head of the country's disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said the precise source may never be found.
The Spanish government is now threatening legal action and is demanding compensation for its farmers. It says they have lost sales worth €200 million (Dh1bn) a week and the scare could put 70,000 people out of work.
Russia imposed a complete import ban on all raw vegetables from the European Union. Gennady Onishchenko, head of the Russian consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor, said the ban was imposed because the situation had not been brought under control.
The European Commission has said it is looking at what it could do about the impact on producers.
The EU's health experts have been horrified at the size and seriousness of the outbreak. Denis Coulombier, head of surveillance and response for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said studies so far showed a strong link between disease symptoms and the consumption of fresh vegetables.
"To have such a high number of severe cases means that probably there was a huge contamination at some juncture. That could have been anywhere from the farm to the fork - in transport, packaging, cleaning, at wholesalers, or retailers - anywhere along that food chain."
nhanif@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
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New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Company%20profile
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)