E-Coli Outbreak in Europe

It has been more than a week since we heard anything further on the very dangerous e-coli outbreak in Europe.  This e-coli was a vicious strain that resisted normal antibiotics and killed, at last count, 22 people.  European officials were frantically searching for the source of the bacterial infection, pointing fingers first at cucumbers from Spain, then sprouts from a farm in Germany.  Neither of those turned out to be true.  Interestingly, the story faded quickly, although paranoia about food consumption seems to be still in progress.  The BBC reported six days ago that Spanish farmers can't give away their produce, even though noone has been able to prove the E-coli came from Spain.

I have a prediction. 

European investigators will find that international produce, which is picked early and trucked or flown long distances, will be passing through a common processing plant where they are sprayed clean of dirt, waxed to look good, irradiated to force them to look ripe, and sometimes packaged.  The E-Coli will be entering the food system at this site, the processing plant, through a contaminated water system.   

This processing plant will be located near an animal processing plant, called CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations).  At these sites, animals are kept in a small space and given antibiotics to stave off the infections that occur from a poor diet, lack of exercise and, most importantly, standing all day, up to their stomachs, in their own poop.  The antibiotics come out in the poop, mix with all the other poop and this slurry of poop and its accompanying mix of bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc goes sliding into the nearest stream or pond, or seeps through into the water table, contaminating the water system in the area around the CAFO.   Of course bacteria are going to become resistant and are given the opportunity to become resistant since they are swimming around with antibiotics - they learn how to thrive in spite of them. 

If you listen very closely to what the news reports coming out of Europe you will hear the scientists continuously mention looking at the places where the food was processed.   I predict within the month, we will hear that the source of the E-Coli is in the processing, and is due to contaminated water. 

This is the one of the best arguments for shopping local I can think of!
YOU, loyal farmers market people, you don't have to worry about the food you purchase at our market!  You see that dirt on the carrots - that is the dirt they grew in.  Wash it at home - your tap water does not have E-Coli, does not come from a well near a CAFO!  You can rest assured, you will eat well, and safely when you buy at your local farmers market!