Camembert cheese recalled amidst E.coli scare, maker says nothing to hide |
|
|
Published
:
Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:05
|
LONDON - A variety of Camembert cheese, which is manufactured in France by Laiterie Fromagerie du Val d'Ay-Etablissement Reaux, has been withdrawn from the market after concerns that it was harboring E.coli surfaced.
The Food Standards Agency confirmed that the presence of the bacteria, which is responsible for food poisoning, presented a potential health hazard and hence it was withdrawn from the shelves. This particular variety is believed to harbor the 026 strain of E.coli. This strain acts in the same way as the 0157 strain that causes fatal food poisoning in immune-compromised people like the very young and the very old.
It was reported that Waitrose is one of the UK retailers which stocks this cheese. Commenting on the whole episode, a Waitrose spokesperson said, "Waitrose has the highest standards of customer safety and we took action as soon as we were notified of a potential issue by our supplier." Waitrose also said that the recall alert had been issued after the microbiological tests conducted at the French diary had proved to be "unsatisfactory." The affected packages include 1 kg packs of Reaux's Gaslonde Camembert, 250g packs of Camembert de Normandie Th.Reaux and 250g packs of Reaux's Gaslonde Camembert.
Anthony Rowcliffe and Son Ltd is the main importer of the cheese to the UK. These are subsequently distributed to various retailers. The recall alert has been informed to all the retailers who stock up on these particular packs. Meanwhile, Bertrand Gillot, at the Reaux has said that they had identified the potential source of the bacteria, "It is not the confirmed source but a strong line of inquiry," he said adding that the company had nothing to hide. "It is a serious crisis for my company but we have a great team and will overcome it. Measures will be taken to ensure that nothing like this happens again," Mr Gillot stressed. E.coli is often linked to fatal food poisoning. Some of the common symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea with blood and vomiting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print this Story
McDonalds going the healthy way 