The Netherlands has rejected a shipment of frozen beef from Brazil after finding of "potentially pathogenic" E. coli, according to a notification to the European Unions food-alert system.
Frozen beef sampled on Jan. 23 in border checks tested positive for the bacteria, the Feb. 19 notice from the Netherlands stated. The meat was rejected at the border and the consignment detained, according to the same notice.
While the notice cited Brazil as the country of origin, it did not identify the specific supplier. A Canadian company had been implicated in another E. coli case in Canada in December. While often harmless, E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
