MADRID – A batch of ripened raw milk cheese from France has been recalled from the shelves of outlets in Spain. A bacterium was found in it, reports the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN).
This warning arises from a self-check at the company itself, which reported the incident to the competent authorities. Health authorities reported the incident to AESAN through the European Food Alert Network (RASFF). AESAN subsequently requested the withdrawal of the product. The Morbier DOP cheese, made from raw milk from France, contains the Escherichia coli bacteria that produce the Shiga toxin (STEC).
Cheese as a raw material for a number of products in Spain
FrieslandCampina uses this cheese as a raw material for a number of products that it sells on the Spanish market. The company has announced that it has instructed its distributors and customers to preventively take back the concerned lots “to ensure consumer safety at all times.”
What if you ate the contaminated cheese?
Consumers who have the cheese at home are advised not to consume it and to return it to the point of sale. Anyone who has consumed the cheese is advised to seek medical attention as the toxin can cause severe abdominal cramps and watery and bloody diarrhea.
Details about the cheese
The data on cheese contaminated with toxins provide the following information:
- Product name (on label): MORBIER DOP Ripened cheese made with raw milk
- Trademark names on the label: FRIESLANDCAMPINA IBERIA and MILLAN VICENTE
- Product appearance and type of packaging: packed in wedges (175 and 195 g)
- Lot number: all batches.
- Weight per piece: 175 and 195 g
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