The recent Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak in northern Germany showed that in spite of all the food safety systems currently in place, the food chain is still vulnerable. More than 3,750 cases were reported in Germany, with at least 45 deaths. In other countries, cases were reported in people who had been in Germany or France shortly before becoming ill. It was the first serious food safety outbreak since the food crisis of the 1990s.