AN investigation has been launched by environmental health officers into a second Scots award-winning cheese firm following issues with quality control testing.
Highland Council, which is leading in the investigation at the family-run Connage Highland Dairy in Ardersier said there is no link "at this stage" to any cases of illness or the on-going E.coli 0157 outbreak which has resulted in the death of a child in Bearsden.
The E.coli outbreak resulted in the shutting down in the operations of another family-run award-winning cheesemaker Lanarkshire-base Errington Cheese whose cheese has been linked to the outbreak.
Highland Council environmental health officers are liaising with Food Standards Scotland in the probe.
The council said that the organic cheese firm had contacted the council voluntarily regarding issues with their own internal quality testing, triggering the probe.
A spokesman said: "Environmental Health officers are investigating the matter and further sampling has been carried out.
"The council are liaising with Food Standards Scotland on the investigation. There is no link at this stage to any cases of illness or the ongoing E.coli O157 outbreak in Scotland.”
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Callum Clark, who runs the business with wife, Jill insisted it is not connected to the E.coli outbreak and there was "nothing actually wrong".
"We asked them to come in. Obviously environmental health are all a bit sensitive and on high alert on everything with the Errington thing," he said. "Everyone is extra edgy over that.
"We are being fully helpful and co-operating with environmental health. It's just the testing regime we are looking at."
Owned and run by the Clark family, Connage Highland Dairy has been using traditional techniques to produce a range of organic, handcrafted, vegetarian cheeses since the family farm opened in 2006.
They use milk from their organic dairy herd of 150 cows, which are mainly Holstein Friesians with Jersey crosses and Norwegian Reds and graze on pastures along the shores of the Moray Firth.
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It was announced in July that Dunlop, its unpasteurised hard cheese, was launching in the US, bearing the new Scottish Dairy brand - a logo given to premium Scottish dairy products in the Stateside.
The national E.coli outbreak was linked to the eating of gourmet cheese produced by Errington Cheese and 22 people were infected of whom 13 have needed hospital treatment.
It is said that 15 of the 22 confirmed cases were known to have eaten Errington's Dunsyre Blue gourmet cheese.
But Humphrey Errington, owner of Errington Cheese has always insisted there is no evidence linking his cheese to the outbreak and says his family will be made bankrupt by the shutdown.
Jill and Callum Clark, who run the firm were awarded The Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Forum’s Ambassador of the Year 2015, an award which recognises the outstanding contribution of individuals in the food and drink sector, recognising innovative, forward thinking and collaborative enterprise, and celebrating excellence and achievement.
Their wide range of cheeses can be found in many national delicatessens, restaurants and high end outlets.
Connage cost around £500,000 to set up, including some support coming from Highlands & Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Government.
Last year the dairy was turning over more than £600,000 a year and its cheeses are selling as far afield as Germany, Japan, Singapore and the United States.
The family uses milk from its herd of about 150 cows, mostly Holstein Friesian with Jersey crosses and Norwegian Reds, which graze on organic land along the Moray Firth.
The Clarks have won acclaim for their cheeses. The Connage Clava Brie won a gold in the 2007 World Cheese Awards and their Connage Dunlop won the best traditional cheese gong at the British Cheese Awards four years later.
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