Japan Yet To Fix Source Of Food Poisoning

The ministry said in its final report on the crisis that it was unable to specify the source and route by which the deadly O-157 bacteria spread, creating one of the biggest health scandals since World War II. But the report said there was reason to believe that contaminated radish sprouts, a salad vegetable similar to cress, were the cause of the poisoning from the O-157 E coli bacillus, which killed 11 people and made more than 9,500 ill.

Sakai was hit hardest by the epidemic, with more than 6,500 people, mainly schoolchildren, affected. Experts believe the bacteria was in school lunches. But investigators failed to track down the original source of the bacillus and schools in Sakai stopped supplying school lunches when classes resumed this autumn.