The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Cheesemakers win battle with FSS
Five Scottish cheesemakers have won a longstanding battle with Food Standards Scotland (FSS) over the way raw milk cheese can be produced.
The five businesses – Errington Cheese, Isle of Mull Cheese, Galloway Farmhouse Cheese, Cambus O’May Cheese Co. and Finlay’s Farm Ltd – launched a Crowdjustice campaign for legal fees which would allow them to prepare for a potential judicial review of FSS guidance for making the raw milk product.
As a result of the action, FSS and the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC) has published new guidance, in line with World Health Organisation and EU recommendations – leading to the advocate representing the cheesemakers to drop the action as a full judicial review was no longer required.
FSS has now published new guidelines and abandoned its motion to seek expenses against from the cheesemakers.
Errington Cheese director Selina Cairns thanked supporters and said: “Now that we have fair and achievable guidelines in place, we look forward to getting back on track with production and sales.”