[글로벌 브리핑] French farmers resuming nationwide protests next month, found E. coli in McDonald’s hamburgers

There is endless laughter and crying around the world over agriculture, rural areas, and food. We are launching a new ‘Global Briefing’ which provides a brief insight into world agriculture, rural areas and food news.

○… Foreign media outlets including Reuters reported on the 22nd (local time) that major French farmer groups announced that they would resume nationwide protests in November. Arnaud Rousseau, president of the French National Peasant Federation (FNSEA), said through local media, “We plan to hold protests across the country starting in mid-November, and the date and type (of protests) will be decided later.” In January and February this year, French farmers held large-scale protests against the increase in agricultural management costs, the policy of suppressing agricultural product prices, and the policy of reducing the use of pesticides. Protests spread across Europe, including Germany, Belgium, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Foreign media explained that it was European Union (EU) trade policy that forced French farmers back onto the streets. As it became known that the South American Common Market Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) intends to sign a free trade agreement (FTA), low-priced agricultural products that do not meet EU production standards will be imported into European countries, which could deliver a big blow to French farmers This was analyzed as the main reason.

○… Dozens of people have died in the United States after eating McDonald’s hamburgers infected with E. coli. According to Reuters on the 22nd (local time), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that E. coli ‘O157:H7’ was found in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger. A total of 50 people are believed to have ingested E. coli from McDonald’s hamburgers over a period of 15 days between September 27 and October 11. Of these, one person died and 49 are in hospital receiving treatment. O157:H7 is a type of pathogenic E. coli that causes food poisoning and enteritis. It was first discovered in the United States in 1982 when a group of patients developed bloody diarrhea after eating hamburgers. You can become infected by drinking unpasteurized milk or undercooked ground beef. CDC is investigating possible contamination of onions and beef patties.

McDonald’s Korea announced on its website on the 23rd, “The issue involving the Quarter Pounder hamburger that occurred in the United States is believed to have originated from raw onion and is not related to the products provided by McDonald’s Korea. ” He also explained, “McDonald’s Korea currently uses 100% domestically produced raw onions, and they are strictly controlled according to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.

Reporters Park Ha-neul and Kim Dong-yong sky@nongmin.com