A popular cheese has been recalled over fears some blocks have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
About 100,000 STEC bacteria can rest on the head of a needle – but only 50 are needed to make you sick enough to possibly die.
The virus can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever and, in extreme cases, life-threatening kidney problems and death.
Isle of Mull Cheese, a dairy farm on the Scottish island of the same name, has recalled its Hebridean Blue Cheese after tests revealed contamination with STEC.
The affected product includes all pack sizes with batch code 8051224 and a best-before date of April 10, 2025.
The cheese is being taken off supermarket shelves, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said yesterday.
A customer notice shared by officials says: ‘If you have bought Hebridean Blue cheese as… do not eat it.
‘It is safe after heat treatment, i.e. cooking.’
Customers are urged to return the product to the store for a full refund, with or without a receipt.
What is STEC?
Most types of E. coli are harmless to humans – STEC is not one of them.
The aggressive bacteria tend to call cow intestines home, which is why they often contaminate beef. But they can work their way out of the cattle and into faeces, containing farm soil.
People can become sickened by STEC by eating contaminated food, coming into contact with infected animals or patients or drinking inadequately treated water, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The best way to avoid becoming sick from STEC is to take precautions when preparing food; think keeping raw meat separate from other foods and washing your hands after handling them.
Cooking meats at the appropriate temperature kills the bacteria that might be wriggling around. Store any leftovers within two hours of cooking to slow bacterial growth.
One person died following a STEC infection last year.
No other Isle of Mull Cheese products are known to be affected.
The company added: ‘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 We have withdrawn all Hebridean Blue cheese for further testing.’
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