ONE of the cheeses linked to the E.Coli death of a three-year-old may never be produced again, an artisan cheesemaker has said.
Errington Cheese fears dairy farmers will not provide the unpasteurised cows’ milk needed to make Dunsyre Blue, the firm's most popular cheese which it has produced for nearly 30 years, because of the link with the deadly outbreak.
A dairy industry source said such suppliers require specialised contracts, permissions and licensing and numbers are limited.
The Carnwath-based firm has had three cheeses from last season - Lanark Blue, Corra Linn and the Dunsyre Blue - seized by food safety officers amid allegations Errington produce was responsible for the death of the Dunbartonshire girl and the illness of 17 others last year.
Around £70,000 of Dunsyre Blue was seized last Friday.
It is the last batch of Dunsyre from last season and possibly the last batch to be produced by Errington.
The safety of all three of the cheeses from last season will be argued in court when testing and monitoring processes will come under scrutiny.
The news comes as new season cheese from Errington that has been tested under new guidelines from food safety officers at South Lanarkshire Council and Food Standards Scotland has been given the go-ahead to be sold.
While the new season Lanark Blue by Errington is on the shelves in artisan cheese sellers and available for general purchase, Humphrey Errington said it is unlikely Dunsyre Blue will go back into production.
Dunsyre needs unpasteurised cows' milk - while Lanark Blue and Corra Linn are made from the ewes' milk from the cheesemaker's own flock - and it is claimed dairy farmers have been put off providing the key ingredient.
The new season Lanark Blue went into production in January and is now mature, but Corra Linn, as a hard cheese, takes longer.
Mr Errington said of Dunsyre Blue: "I don’t think it will ever be ready.
"The word has gone round among all the dairy farms, don’t supply Errington Cheese, it’s not worth it.
"I think that’s Dunsyre finished.
"We’d love to make it again, but you can’t make it unless you can get the milk.
"The farm we were getting it from was really good but the word has gone round."
He added: "It is a terrible thing, I started making the Dunsyre in the 1985 and to think that is the end of it is terrible.
"At the moment there is no prospect of starting Dunsyre production."
South Lanarkshire Council said it has "now seized all existing batches of the Errington Cheese Limited cheeses which were the subject of a Food Alert For Action issued by Food Standards Scotland following an E.Coli outbreak last year".
“The latest seizure involved batches of Dunsyre Blue and followed earlier seizures of batches of Lanark Blue and Corra Linn."
All are now the subject to Section 9 of the Food Safety Act 1990 and they will be presented to a sheriff to ask for them to be condemned.
Food Standards Scotland said it had received assurances from South Lanarkshire Council that "Errington Cheese Ltd now has revised food safety management systems in place to produce and sell cheese.
"The new season Lanark Blue cheese being placed on the market this week has been produced under this revised food safety management system."
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