Infected moringa
Germany blocked a Salmonella-infected batch of organic moringa leaf in powder and capsules form from India, which was headed for Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, France and Austria.
Moringa is often touted as a 'superfood' to be added to juices, cereals and yoghurts or to hot water as a tea.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Salmonella is one of the most common and widely distributed foodborne diseases with tens of millions of human cases worldwide each year.
The bacteria is normally transmitted to humans through consumption of contaminated foods of animal origin.
The symptoms of infection usually appear after 12–72 hours and can include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes vomiting.
It can last four to seven days and can be particularly serious for infants and the elderly.
The WHO’s International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) also assisted in this investigation.