German sprouts are not the cause of the deadly e.coli outbreak that has killed 22 and sickened over 2,000, according to initial tests of samples from a farm that a German agriculture minister had earlier named as the epicenter. The retraction is only the latest in a series of confusing finger-pointings and “cucumber slurs,” and has left European consumers afraid to eat a salad.

Earlier Monday, a German agriculture minister said “a connection has been found involving all the main outbreaks” and the sprouts at the farm. However, lab results for the first 23 of the 40 samples later failed to identify E. coli contamination.

The hunt is still on for the E.coli epicenter. Will they find a “smoking tomato? A “smoking cow?” The world waits and watches, eating bread.

E. Coli Not Found in Initial Testing of Sprouts [NYT]
E. coli outbreak: German farm in Uelzen ‘likely source’ [BBC]

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