Two hospitalised following fresh E.coli outbreak

Fourteen people across Scotland and two people in England contracted the E.coli bacteria, prompting the manufacturer to voluntarily recall cheese with the batch code C22 and D14.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) said initial investigations found a number of the patients had consumed Dunsyre Blue Cheese, a cheese made with unpasteurised milk, before becoming unwell. They developed the symptoms between July 2 and July 15.

HPS clinical director Dr Syed Ahmed said: “The majority of cases have consumed Dunsyre Blue while eating out.

‘Dispose of it’

“Members of the public who purchased Dunsyre Blue cheese between May 18 and July 29, and still have the product in their fridges, should return it to the retailer where they purchased the product, or dispose of it.”

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said about 180kg of the cheese was recalled by Errington Cheese, which maintained the recall was purely precautionary.

Founder of Errington Cheese Humphrey Errington told BBC News: “As a responsible company, we took the voluntary decision last night to recall the two batches of batches which they were concerned about.

“At the moment, we are doing a lot of testing ourselves and investigation to see whether in fact there is any evidence of a connection.”

FSS advised vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and the elderly, not to consume unpasteurised milk or dairy products made from unpasteurised milk, due to the risk of food poisoning.

The risk of food poisoning

HPS will continue to work with FSS to monitor the situation.

The outbreak of E.coli, which could kill up to 5% of people infected with the bacteria according to Patient.info, followed news that two people died last month from E.coli found in mixed salad leaves.

A total of 160 cases were identified across England, Wales and Scotland, but the exact source of the contamination was unknown.

Public Health England tests revealed the mixed salad leaves were likely to be imported, possibly from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

 Meanwhile, food safety will take centre stage at the Food Manufacture Group’s annual one-day Food Safety Conference. The conference will take place on October 13, at Prospero House in London.