UK – Scotland – Food Standards Scotland issues a Food Alert For Action (FAFA) for Errington Cheese Ltd

FSS

Heads of Environmental Health Services should be aware that Errington Cheese Ltd. have supplied unpasteurised milk cheese which may contain E. coli.

Both O157 & non-O157 strains of E. coli have been detected in different types of cheeses produced by Errington Cheese Ltd.  This makes these products a potential risk to health.

Identification of the product:

These products would have been purchased up until Wednesday 14^th September 2016.

Advice to consumers:

If you have bought this product, do not consume it.

Actions (to be) taken by enforcement authorities:

These products are known to be supplied by Errington Cheese Ltd., who are unwilling to take the action to remove these cheeses from the market. The above cheeses have been supplied to wholesalers who in turn supply to retail and catering establishments.  These products are 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requested to identify food businesses who are likely or known to stock this product and to take steps to ensure it is withdrawn from sale and destroyed, if necessary using powers under the Food Safety Act 1990 and Regulation 27 of the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

FSS

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has today (14 September 2016) issued a FAFA to Heads of Environmental Health Services at Scottish local authorities with immediate instructions to withdraw from sale all cheese produced by Errington Cheese Ltd currently in distribution, and to withhold from sale any cheese not yet on the market, as these products are a potential risk to consumers’ health.

These products are known to be supplied by Errington Cheese Ltd to wholesalers who in turn supply to retail and catering establishments.  These products are mainly provided to specialist cheese shops, delicatessens, hotels and restaurants.

Both O157 and non-O157 strains of E. coli have been detected in a number of different types of cheese produced by Errington Cheese Ltd.

Errington Cheese Ltd has not voluntarily withdrawn these products so, following the  precautionary principle set out in Article 7 of EC Regulation 178/2002, FSS as the designated central public food body in Scotland, is initiating the withdrawal of all cheese produced by Errington Cheese Ltd from the marketplace.

Symptoms caused by both O157 and non-O157 E. coli  can include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, and haemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure. Given the potential severity of illness and the very low doses of this bacterium required to cause illness, FSS believes this action is in the best interests of consumers.

FSS’s statutory duty is to protect public health and we fully recognise the importance of the food sector to Scotland’s economy. It is a flourishing sector and key to that is having trust in what is being produced is safe and fit for human consumption.

It is the legal responsibility of food businesses to produce safe food, and they are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure that all hazards and risks are identified in the production of their products, and that the food they produce is safe. Those reasonable steps need to be taken before any product is placed on the market.

FSS and South Lanarkshire Council’s investigations into food safety related to unpasteurised cheese produced by Errington Cheese Ltd are ongoing.  Actions will continue to be determined by what is necessary to protect public health and the interests of consumers.

FSS advice to vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children and the elderly remains that they should not consume raw, unpasteurised milk and dairy products such as cheese made from unpasteurised milk due to the increased risk of food poisoning. Please find a link to our advice on raw milk here

 FSS is advising all consumers who have purchased these products not to consume them, and to return the products to where they purchased them.

If you would like to view full details of the FAFA please follow the link provided here: http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/news/food-standards-scotland-issues-food-alert-action-fafa-errington-cheese-ltd

The products which could be affected include:

• Dunsyre Blue

• Dunsyre Baby

• Lanark Blue

• Lanark White

• Maisie’s Kebbuck

• Cora Linn