Washing fruit and vegetables is not enough for food manufacturers to get rid of the threat of contamination with E.coli, a food hygiene expert has warned.
Research by Dr Nicola Holden of the James Hutton Institute proves that the bacteria can live inside the tissue of infected plants.
"The bacteria are able to get from animal sources on to crops through different routes, most likely in irrigation water or sometimes from slurry spraying, while some contamination can also occur during processing and packaging," she said.
Previously, food-borne illnesses have mainly been associated with undercooked meat products and eggs.
However, Dr Holden reassured consumers in the UK that they were unlikely to fall victim to E.coli, as stringent checks are carried out by producers on the majority of fresh produce.
The findings come in the wake of an E.coli outbreak in Germany, which was linked with infected cucumbers and has so far claimed ten lives.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the food manufacturing industry includes:
