Though the Egyptian government has denied it, are bunching onions from Egypt destined to Europe actually contaminated with E.Coli? According to some operators in Campania who export bunching onions in Europe, there is not much of a difference now compared to how the situation was in December, when Europe was exporting considerable volumes of Egyptian produce.
Could the problem be worse than what denied by the Egyptian authorities? Or is it true that the bacteria contaminated only a few batches? The country is indeed a leader in the sector, so it is difficult for Italy to be a competitor when it comes to price and quantity, but could the low price justify the presence of E.Coli, if found?
Luigi D'Aniello, manager at Ludan Fresh Supplies in Eboli (Salerno) reports: "Until December, central and northern Europe were importing exclusively Egyptian bunching onions, as I know there are good quantities available over there. In contrast, orders from Italy never picked up."
Giuseppe Buono from Auragricola in Nocera Inferiore (Salerno) confirms what reported by Luigi D'Aniello. "Italian supplies to Europe are slow compared to other years and Germany is exporting exclusively Egyptian produce. If Egyptian bunching onions are indeed contaminated with E. Coli, I believe the market would be livelier. In addition, the big European chains are purchasing bunching onions directly in Egypt."
Antimo Filetti from L'Ortolana in Scafati (Salerno) has a different idea. "It is a well-known fact that Egypt is a leader because it has large quantities and sells them at medium-low prices, as it manages crops differently than Italy. So far, European demand has been stable with stable prices. I believe this year is being rather average, though the same cannot be said for other operators who focus on quantity rather than quality. In general, it takes around ten days to understand whether something is changing on the foreign market."