18. 03. 10. - 11:00

Alma cheese gets clean bill of health

Cheese suspected of being contaminated with deadly listeria bacteria has been given a clean bill of health, it was announced today (Thurs).

Extensive laboratory tests have shown that the "Alma Knöpfle Kase" brand of cheese produced by the firm Rupp in Hörbranz, Vorarlberg, is safe to eat.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Nutrition Safety (AGES) said that the tests had shown the cheese was not contaminated with the bacteria.

Rupp announced it would begin supplying supermarkets with the brand after its initial recall last week.

Rupp said last Friday that it was recalling the cheese after internal controls had detected a small amount of listeria in one sample. It added that additional tests had found no other contamination though.

AGES said on Friday that there was probably little if any danger to public health since a test of Rupp’s cut cheese product had revealed only a ‘slight’ amount of listeria.

AGES said the concentration of listeria in the Alma cheese had not been quantifiable and so it assumed it was lower than 10 "colony building units" per gram. The limit is 100 or fewer such units by its sales deadline.

AGES said: "The firm assumed responsibility for its product and handled the case on the basis of public safety."

Meanwhile, the Styrian dairy firm Prolactal which had to recall eight brands of its Quargel cheese in January after it caused the deaths of 10 people in Austria and Germany, is being investigated by Graz prosecutors.

Consumption of food with excessive concentrations of listeria can lead to meningitis, encephalitis and blood-poisoning.