Lancashire cheese recall issued following E. coli outbreak

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported one death in Scotland of a person with the E. coli infection.

While it is not yet clear whether the death was caused by the food, the UKHSA and Food Standards Agency (FSA) have warned the public against eating the following Mrs Kirkham’s cheese products:

• Mrs Kirkham's Mild & Creamy Lancashire 
• Mrs Kirkham's Tasty Lancashire 
• Mrs Kirkham's Mature Lancashire 
• Mrs Kirkham's Smoked Lancashire 
• No 1 Waitrose and Partners, Farmhouse Kirkham's Lancashire cheese 

Mrs Kirkham’s said they had withdrawn its products from the market and urged customers to follow the advice of the UKHSA and FSA.

Officials are continuing investigations into any common links between cases of the bacterial infection and the recalled products.

They advised that since July, there have been 30 confirmed cases of the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli across England and Scotland, with some of these people needing hospital treatment.

Michelle Victor Partner and head of the food safety team at Leigh Day said:

“E. coli is a bacteria that usually lives in the intestines of healthy people, but some strains can cause severe health issues. You can be exposed to these strains by consuming contaminated food or water. Symptoms can range from mild diarrhoea to severe abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. Anyone who has been affected by this issue is urged to contact the Food Safety Team at Leigh Day.”