At least sixteen people who were infected in the E.Coli outbreak over Christmas ate ready meals containing unpasteurised cheese from a Preston business in the first class carriage of a train, Blog Preston has learned.
The investigation into E.Coli that led to dozens of people being infected, and one person dying, has also now concluded there is a ‘proven link’ between Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese Ltd, which operates in Goosnargh, and the outbreak.
Mrs Kirkham’s was forced to issue a product recall on Christmas Eve 2023 over fears their unpasteurised cheese contained the harmful bacteria.
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The Food Standards Agency has previously said that Mrs Kirkham’s acted ‘quickly and responsibly’ to take that action in December once the potential link had been established. Mrs Kirkham’s also received messages of support from the Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association and The Courtyard Dairy,
The investigation, which continues, undertaken by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), along with the Preston City Council environment team, Public Health Scotland, The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA), has now concluded there is a ‘proven link’ between Mrs Kirkham’s products and the outbreak.
In total, there were 36 cases of E.Coli confirmed related to the outbreak. Of these, 15 were admitted to hospital. One person, from Scotland, developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and died. The investigation was able to speak with 17 people who became infected. Of those, Blog Preston understands 16 consumed a specific menu item which contained Mrs Kirkham’s cheese while travelling in first class carriages on trains operated by the same company. One further case who did not travel by train consumed unpasteurised cheese purchased from a local shop.
Tina Potter, Head of Incidents at the FSA said: “After a thorough response carried out by multiple agencies and the business to identify possible source of the outbreak, microbiological evidence from samples taken from the dairy herd has proven a microbiological link between Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese Ltd and the outbreak of E.Coli STEC. This is in addition to the epidemiological and food chain already links identified early on that were relied upon and led to the initial precautionary food safety action being taken.
“We are still urging consumers to follow the advice in the product recall notice, and if you have bought any of the products implicated in the recall, do not eat them. Raw or unpasteurised milk products may contain harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
“It is therefore especially important for specific groups of vulnerable people, including pregnant women and individuals with impaired immunity. Instead, you should carefully dispose of them, ensuring the product doesn’t come into contact with other foods and ensure you thoroughly wash your hands, equipment, utensils and surfaces that may have come into contact with the product.”
As part of the investigation, 43 samples of cheese were tested by UKHSA Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology laboratories and E.Coli DNA was detected in two samples. The strain identified was not the outbreak strain and did not match any human disease cases. No E.Coli was detected in the bulk milk tank sample or filter samples used by Mrs Kirkham’s when producing cheese.
Furthermore, the APHA undertook a sampling visit to the farm which produced the cheese. In total, 28 samples, including fresh and aged cattle faeces from various locations on the premises and two water trough sediment samples, were collected and tested for E.Coli. Two of the cattle faecal samples tested positive. These were sequenced at the UKHSA Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit and both isolates were found to be ‘genetically indistinguishable’ from the outbreak strain detected in the human cases.
A statement from the UKHSA said: “While the outbreak strain was not detected in the milk tank or cheese samples, this is not unexpected considering the limitations of microbiological sampling during outbreak investigations. A negative test does not prove that raw ingredients or a specific food is not contaminated.
“The detection of the outbreak strain in the faeces samples from the dairy herd (on the premises which supplied the milk used to make the unpasteurised cheese) provided additional evidence in support of the epidemiological and food chain investigation findings on which the food safety and health protection actions taken in December 2023 were based.
“Since the investigation began, the food business has been working closely with the local authority, FSA and APHA as well as a trade association with expertise in cheese manufacturing to improve labelling and implement additional measures to control and monitor for contamination of the milk used to produce the relevant cheese products.”
Five products continue to be implicated by the recall notices. These are all products of Mrs Kirkham’s Mild & Creamy Lancashire, Mrs Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire, Mrs Kirkham’s Mature Lancashire, Mrs Kirkham’s Smoked Lancashire and No 1 Waitrose and Partners, Farmhouse Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese purchased up to and including February 5, 2024.
Blog Preston put the new information from the FSA to Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese Ltd but they declined to comment.
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