People are being urged to keep buying their fruit and vegetables at Leicester market after the "killer cucumber" E.coli scare put off shoppers.
Europe's worst food poisoning outbreak has left 18 people dead, mostly in Germany. It was originally blamed on Spanish produce, but this was later discovered not the be the cause of the poisoning.
Although it is considered unlikely that the problem will stretch to Leicestershire, many shoppers have still been avoiding Spanish fruit and vegetables.
Some market traders have seen a drop of up to 50 per cent in sales due to the fears caused by the outbreak.
Martin Freer, of Teresa's Salads, said: "Customers are suddenly asking what country everything's come from and it's the first time I've ever been asked.
"A lot of people just don't want to risk buying a cucumber at all. On Thursday, our sales were half what they should have been, so we lost hundreds of pounds.
"All our stuff is safe and people should keep shopping here."
John Lee, who sells vegetables, said: "I believe all the food on the market is safe. It goes through controls before we get it.
"First, it was supposed to be Spanish food and now it's not. People don't understand what's going on. They ask because they want to know that it's all right."
Anita Bennett, who runs T&A fruit and veg with her husband Tony, said: "Everyone is checking where stuff comes from. Luckily, all ours is either English or Dutch.
"The problem will be when everyone who used to buy Spanish starts wanting English and Dutch as well, and then the prices will rise."
Shopper Sue Price, 77, from Anstey, said: "I bought a cucumber in the supermarket but only because it said it was English on the label."
There have been no cases of the disease arising in the UK, although three Britons and four Germans have brought the disease into the country and are being treated.
Dr Katie Laird, senior lecturer in pharmaceutical microbiology at De Montfort University, said: "What they're dealing with in Germany is a kind of bacteria with a combination of toxins that has never been seen before.
"It's like with swine flu, where once something is discovered there's a flurry of research and we will be ready next time."
The Health Protection Agency has issued a warning urging people travelling to Germany to avoid eating uncooked food. 作者: candour556699 时间: 2011-6-5 00:09
