An artisan cheesemaker embroiled in a row with food safety authorities has placed his produce back on sale for the first time since a ban was imposed last year.
But the action prompted watchdog Food Standards Scotland (FSS) to yesterday warn the products made by Errington Cheese were still banned and the decision by a council to allow it to be sold was "premature".
The firm, which insists its raw milk cheese is safe, has been battling the FSS since it linked its Dunsyre Blue cheese to an outbreak of E-coli last year, which resulted in one death and 17 people being hospitalised.
Two weeks ago, a judge ruled action taken by South Lanarkshire Council to impose detention orders on the cheese to ensure it was not sold was “unlawful”.
Some of the firm’s Corra Linn cheese has now been placed on sale in a shop in Biggar, South Lanarkshire with the agreement of the council.
However the FSS issued a statement saying its notice telling local authorities not to allow Errington cheeses on the market was still in place.
The FSS said its advice “remains that these cheeses should not be eaten” and added that a decision by South Lanarkshire Council to allow the cheeses to be placed on the market was premature as there was “currently insufficient evidence to provide assurances to the public that these cheeses are safe”.
But Humphrey Errington, founder of Errington Cheese, said South Lanarkshire Council were fine with the sale of the cheese going ahead. He also criticised the FSS for issuing the statement – which also outlines a number of points on why it believes the cheese is unsafe – ahead of another hearing on the case due to take place at the Sheriff Court in Lanark in a few weeks’ time.
“The sheriff will spend possibly 10 days hearing the evidence against the cheese and hearing evidence from us as to why we think the cheese is fit to eat,” he said.
“Prior to that court hearing in the next few weeks, it is completely inappropriate for FSS to chuck out all these allegations publicly against us."
The action against Errington Cheese by the FSS has led to a campaign group being set up with the aim of protecting artisan food producers north of the border.
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