UK sprouting seed growers have expressed dismay at the Food StandardsAgency’s (FSA) advice on consumption of their products and have called for anurgent revision as they watch their businesses shrink.
Jim Hardy, managing director of Aconbury Sprouts, told Freshinfo: “We have lost half of our business thanks to the current FSA advice through no fault of ourown and despite the thousands of pounds we spend every year ensuring our products are as safe as possible.”
The FSA has been advising consumers following E.coli deaths linked to sprouting fenugreek seeds from Egypt since 1 July that “sprouted seeds should only be eaten if they have been cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout” and “they should not be eaten raw.” But Hardy and the Fresh Produce Consortium contest this, arguing that many sprouting seeds are not suitable for cooking and are produced commercially with regard to all relevant regulation.
Hardy also warned his business could not survive for long in the current situation. “We have raised the issue of compensation and it would be very easy for us to show how this has had an impact as orders have just disappeared,” he said. “Our main customer is Waitrose and two out of the three lines we supply them with cannot becooked so they have been cancelled.”
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