Watchdog denies E.coli-contaminated water cover-up

The country’s food safety watchdog tonight insisted it did not cover up potential health risks over bottled water contaminated by E.coli.

After testing more than 950 batches of drinks late last year, inspectors found 10 samples contained a strand of the E.coli bug and another 6.3% carried bacteria known as coliforms.

No public alerts were issued over the infected water.

But the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) insisted the strand of E.coli was an indicator of poor hygiene and no organisms were discovered.

“The levels that were found were universally very low,” said FSAI chief Dr John O’Brien.

“We are talking about very low levels but there is a zero tolerance approach to this.”

The FSAI said an alert was not issued as the E.coli would not cause illness but Fine Gael’s Andrew Doyle accused the watchdog of keeping people in the dark.

“At the very minimum last year, the entire batch of contaminated water should have been recalled and the public informed,” he said.

Mr Doyle said the FSAI and the National Standards Authority of Ireland have serious questions to answer.

“They were set up to provide independent analysis on food quality and to keep the public safe and secure,” he said.

“They have failed.”

Sean Sherlock, Labour spokesman on agriculture and food, said it was unacceptable to expose consumers to health risk.

“The FSAI should make clear why it believes that it is acceptable to keep this vital information from the public,” Mr Sherlock said.

The FSAI claimed it took immediate action with stores voluntarily taking bottles off the shelves and water companies improving hygiene standards at their plants.

The authority also insisted it only issues public warnings or alert notices if businesses fail to act on an inspector’s initial finding or if there is a grave and immediate threat to public health.

An FSAI spokeswoman claimed the contamination, which included 7% of water tested containing E.coli or the coliform bacteria commonly found in faeces, was not putting people in grave danger.

Dr O’Brien said: “Corrective actions are taken at the time.

“We do not wait until a report is compiled – if foods are found that are not compliant with the food safety legislation, then immediate action is taken.”

The findings are included in a report, due to be published in the next fortnight, which assessed bottled water quality in the last four months of last year.

Environmental health officers took samples in supermarkets, small retail stores, vending machines, pubs, hotels, restaurants and ethnic stores.

The water companies have not been named.

Dr O’Brien added: “The presence of coliforms in bottled water does not necessarily indicate a risk to consumer health.

“Any breach is unacceptable and we are satisfied that appropriate actions have been taken. Industry acted responsibly and where problems were identified, the product was withdrawn and processes rectified.”