Curry seeds blamed for E coli outbreak

Investigators behind the recent E coli outbreak (E coli 0104:H4) in Germany and France have said a single shipment of fenugreek seeds from Egypt is the most likely source of the epidemic.

Over 4,100 people in Europe and the US were infected by the outbreak with 49 people dying. The European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, has urged the European Commission to make all efforts to prevent any more contact with the seeds in question.

No longer are there doubts over the imminent destruction of mankind by killer cucumbers or whether the source was Spain, Germany or the planet Vulcan. But what exactly are fenugreek seeds you may be wondering and how do you know what foods they’re in?

Well, we at JOE asked around and our reliable sources found that the seeds are used in curry powder as well as a number of Asian medicinal uses, including medication for combating the effects of diabetes and arthritis.

The main use of the yellow-orange seed is in the cuisine trade as the seeds have a strong aromatic quality and are frequently used as a flavouring additive.

Other stranger uses of the seeds include being used to increase the milk levels of new mothers while an Aussie study showed the seed increased male test subjects libido by 25% compared to those who had a placebo.

So there you have it. Some background on the killer curry seeds.

- Oisin Collins

[Main picture via Miansari66/Wikimedia Commons]