Russia bans vegetable imports from Germany and Spain

Russia on Monday banned imports of vegetables from Germany and Spain and threatened to block deliveries from all Europe in the wake of a deadly E coli outbreak, DPA reported.

"We have given the order to block them at the border," said Gennady Onishchenko, a Russian government spokesman. "If the situation does not change, we will block all vegetable products from the entire European Union."

Public health warnings had gone out via state-controlled media on the possible dangers of consuming imported vegetables, and inspectors were removing products originating in Germany and Spain from supermarket shelves, Onishchenko said, according to Interfax.

Russia, with its late growing season, is a major market for European-produced fruit and vegetables in the spring and early summer months.