Russia has banned the import of all fresh vegetables from the European Union because of the E. coli outbreak centered on Germany. More than 1,500 people have been infected by the deadly enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). The total value of EU exports of fresh vegetables to Russia was 600m euros a year, a quarter of the total exported. Spain, France, Germany and Poland are the biggest exporters.The country’s chief medical officer and head of Consumer protection agency Gennady Onishchenko said EU-produced vegetables would be seized across Russia. He criticized food safety standards in the EU. “This shows that Europe’s lauded health legislation – one which Russia is being urged to adopt – does not work,” he said.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk