Cheese was banned over ‘increased risk’
Bugs from raw milk in artisan produce, court told
FOOD safety experts stopped a cheesemaker selling raw milk products due to an ‘increased risk’ to humans, a court heard yesterday.
They seized batches of Errington Cheese’s Lanark Blue and Corra Lin following an E.Coli scare that saw a young girl die and others fall ill.
Errington was hit with a ‘Food Alert For Action’ (FAFA) from Food Standards Scotland, which prohibited the sale of its products and forced their removal from the market in September 2016.
A three-year-old Dunbartonshire girl died and food safety agencies said the cheese was the most likely source.
But following an investigation, the Crown Office said there would be no criminal proceedings because of a lack of evidence.
The firm i s now f i ghting South Lanarkshire Council over whether or not artisan cheese made from raw milk is fit for human consumption.
A civil hearing at Hamilton Sheriff Court heard claims it could cause healthy adults to become ill.
Under questioning, the council’s food safety officer Craig Brown said raw milk used in cheese production could lead to a higher risk for human consumption.
He added: ‘ The organism we had found would have affected even normal healthy adults. The FAFA was quite clear that any cheese made by Errington Cheese up to September 14, 2016 should be removed from sale and not consumed by consumers.’
The court was also told that Errington wrote to the council in January last year to say it planned to begin reselling its products despite being banned from doing so from September 2016.
The company suggested a change to i ts l abelling to