Contaminated cheese is urgently recalled in UK over bacteria that kills one in 20 & could cause kidney failure
A CONTAMINATED cheese has been urgently recalled amid fears it contains a deadly bacteria.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) slapped the advisory on packs of Isle of Mull Cheese’s Hebridean Blue Cheese.
The organization say some items may contain Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), which can trigger severe food poising and life-threatening kidney problems.
Other Isle of Mull Cheese items are not believed to contain the microbes.
The most common type of STEC in the UK is O157, according to a 2017 report by Public Health England.
Some people who are exposed to STEC do not become ill. Others develop stomach cramps and bloody diarrhoea.
Symptoms can also include vomiting, fever, and chills.
In severe cases, the infection can damage organs, such as the kidneys.
Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to ten days after exposure but usually appear around three to four days after exposure.
Most of those affected by the bug will get better without treatment within a week. Sufferers are advised to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
The recall notice affects all pack sizes with a best before date of April 10, 2025 and a batch code 8051224.
Customers who purchased the product have been urged not to consume it and return the item to the store they bought it from.
The company said in response: “Most varieties of cheese in the world are produced are from raw milk.
“It has been used to preserve food for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
“Producing raw milk cheese is tough. The cheese being recalled would have passed normal testing as no pathogens were found using agar plates.
“Cooking the cheese will totally remove any possibility of illness. We have withdrawn all Hebridean Blue cheese for further testing.’
People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E. coli infection.
It comes after a ready-to-eat food containing dairy was reported as likely to be behind a UK-wide E. coli outbreak last year.
At least 37 people were admitted to hospital and 113 cases confirmed between May 25 and June 4, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, reckons the outbreak may have been linked to an item that doesn’t need to be cooked as it’s unlikely so many people would make the same mistake.
He told the Mail on Sunday: “It would be much more likely to be foods that are not going to be cooked before they are consumed.
“We’ve had outbreaks associated with dairy products, for example.
“Cheese is a classic, and we’ve had ice cream before. There’s a whole range – any dairy products that are being processed.”
Cheese made from unpasteurised milk is the most likely culprit, he added.
An expert's view
Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at the food hygiene experts High Speed Training, said: “The news that food poisoning cases are soaring is deeply concerning.
“A combination of looser checks on imported meat entering the country, combined with budget cuts for local authorities and environmental health standards agencies, has created a food environment in the UK that poses a higher risk to consumers.
“Because of this, it’s important that Brits understand what food types class as high risk, and how to safely prepare and cook them in the home.”
The most common forms of food poisoning in the UK come from raw or undercooked foods.
“E.coli is a potentially fatal infection, particularly in older people. You can prevent it by thoroughly cooking your meat,” he added.