Urgent recall issued as Brits fall ill in E. coli outbreak linked to cheese
Dozens of Brits have fallen ill following an E. coli outbreak linked to artisan cheese.
The Food Standards Agency say there has been an urgent recall on four varieties of Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese and they have slapped a 'do not eat' warning over packs over contamination fears. Mrs Kirkham's Mild and Creamy Lancashire, Tasty Lancashire, Mature Lancashire and Smoked Lancashire products are all affected.
A fifth cheese, Route des Terroirs's Morbier Maison Monts & Terroirs Chalet De Vevy, is also impacted. A joint alert via the FSA and the UK Health Security Agency says the cheesemaker, based in Preston, Lancashire, has "taken the difficult decision to recall all of our products". They say those purchased from October 1 through to December 24 should not be consumed.
E. coli is a type of bacteria that normally lives in your intestines (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The Food Standards Agency said: “Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese Ltd has taken the precautionary step of recalling various Lancashire Cheese products because the products might contain E. Coli. The cheeses are sometimes sold as a full block or served as individual portions, it may have been provided as part of a hamper you’ve purchased or been gifted. In some cases it’s been sold as part of a charcutier grazing platter.
“It may not always be clear whether you have purchased an affected product. If in doubt, consumers are advised to contact the retailer they bought their cheese from to find out if the cheese they have purchased is from the businesses and batches affected and, in the meantime, to not eat the product and ensure it is stored safely, fully wrapped and not in contact with other foods.”
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Amy Douglas, incident director for gastrointestinal infections and food safety at the UK Health Security Agency, confirmed: "There have been at least 30 confirmed cases of this specific outbreak strain of STEC in the UK. If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you can take steps to avoid passing it on to family and friends over the festive period. Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Don’t prepare food for others if you have symptoms or for 48 hours after symptoms stop."
The company have moved to reassure customers after four key products were recalled over the festive period. The statement said: “We would just like to say this is a precautionary measure, to ensure the well being of our customers. We were only made aware of this yesterday teatime, and as yet there has not been any testing carried out on our product by the Food Standards Agency to confirm this.
"We are working with our EHO (environmental health officer) and the FSA to get to the bottom of this matter. Mrs Kirkham’s site, is SALSA plus Cheese-accredited (SPDF-SCA), and part of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association, and have followed the best code of practice within our business.
"This particular strain of E.coli that is involved in the potential outbreak is something which is new to us all. All the testing we carry out, and all other cheesemakers, on their products from milk through to finished product; this new strain would not have apparently been detected.”
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