Now artisan cheese No2 is linked to deadly E.coli
Alert centres on Dunsyre Blue f irm
SHOPPERS in Scotland were yesterday warned that a second gourmet cheese could contain potentially deadly bacteria.
Family firm Errington Cheeses has already voluntarily recalled three batches of its Dunsyre Blue after authorities named it as the ‘most likely cause’ of a recent E.coli outbreak that led to a child’s death.
Now a government agency has issued orders for a different cheese made by the company, based in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, to be removed from sale and destroyed.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) yesterday said a sample of Errington’s Lanark White had tested positive for potentially deadly E.coli 0157.
Made with unpasteurised local ewes’ milk, the product won a gold medal at the British Cheese awards in June. It is crafted and matured on Errington’s farm.
But FSS has described a recent batch, on sale between August 22 and September 1, as a ‘potential risk to consumers’ health’.
Errington, which said independent experts had found Dunsyre Blue to be ‘completely clear of E.coli 0157’, has now ordered a set of tests on Lanark White. Despite its earlier voluntary recall, the firm has not removed Lanark White from sale, triggering the FSS yesterday to issue an official notice.
It read: ‘The product is mainly provided to specialist cheese shops, delicatessens, hotels and restaurants. Local authorities are requested to identify food businesses who are likely or known to stock this product and to take steps to ensure it is withdrawn from sale and destroyed, if necessary using powers under the Food Safety Act and Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations.’
It also advised the general public: ‘If you have bought this product, do not consume it.’
E.coli is a major cause of food poisoning. It typically causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea and severe cramps. In some cases it can also result in kidney failure, blindness, and paralysis.
Last week the Crown Office announced an investigation into the death of a three-year-old girl who died of complications linked to the bug. Dunsyre Blue was named by Health Protection Scotland as the ‘most likely cause of the outbreak’. To date it has not provided any evidence that the E.coli strain has been found in that cheese. However, a number of those affected are thought to have consumed Dunsyre Blue before they became unwell.
Unpasteurised or ‘raw’ milk and other dairy products are classed as high risk owing to the increased chance of food poisoning.
Official government advice is that vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children and the elderly, should not consume them. ‘Raw’ milk has become fashionable in recent years, with foodies enthusing over the perceived health benefits. A statement from Errington Cheese said: ‘We take food safety as our priority and when we were told of the presumptive E.coli 0157 result we immediately consulted experts in dairy microbiology.
‘The experts told us that they were confused and concerned by the testing methodology adopted by the laboratory.
‘We have given careful consideration to this and to the fact that the cheese has been on the market for three weeks now with absolutely no reported incidence of illness.
‘We have arranged for the sample of the same cheese tested by the authorities to be tested and the results will be ready on Monday when we will review the situation and post an update.’
It is not the first time the firm has been linked to a health scare.
In the 1990s, the company won a court battle against the local council after claims the cheese contained listeria.