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A NORTH DEVON farm has been forced to stop selling milk after salmonella was found in cheese.
Barton Farm is also under restriction while an investigation into bovine TB takes place.
Raw milk producers Gary and Linda Wright of Kentisbury have suffered the fresh blow just as they were getting their specialist business back on its feet.
"We're all in shock," said Linda, as she and daughter, Emily, saw their 130 cows out into the fields after milking on Tuesday.
The dairy is one of few in Britain selling raw milk and cheeses made from it.
Linda said: "We were told yesterday that one of the old barreners had lesions when she was tested.
"So they put us on 8-10 week restriction while they find out if she had TB.
"In the meantime we can't sell the raw milk or cheese."
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) stopped the Wrights selling raw milk products last October while they investigated two cases of ecoli food poisoning in the London area.
The farm's products were also recalled from customers around the country but the Wrights said their own independent tests have never found ecoli in their milk or cheese.
They were given the go ahead to restart raw milk and cheese sales during the spring and were preparing for the busy Christmas food markets while also expanding their raw milk sales.
The FSA has told the Journal: "Barton Farm has been advised to stop selling raw drinking milk after FSA tests found samples containing levels of micro-organisms that breach food safety regulations.
"North Devon District Council also found salmonella in a batch of cheese made by the company with raw drinking milk.
"The affected batch of cheese has been withdrawn from sale and consumers alerted."
Linda denied the presence of salmonella and they stand by their product.
"Our own results show no salmonella, and so do their subsequent tests," said LInda.
"Our microbiological count in the milk was too high in their test and a few other tests.
"We have subsequently found a split liner in the parlour that has caused the problem.
"We stand by our product. We are very proud of what we have achieved and we have great support from many customers far and wide and in the end truth prevails."
Linda said the FSA shutting the raw milk business down again after testing their cheese had come just as they had "built the round up bigger than before and we were looking forward to all the markets".
She said: "Now all the cattle will have to have two clear tests before we can start selling (raw milk products) again.
"The raw milk is a major contributor to the farm. We're going to have to review it all now."
Credit : North Devon Journal
FSA statement about Barton Farm Dairy
Barton Farm (Kentisbury, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4NQ) has been advised by the FSA to stop selling raw drinking milk after tests carried out by the FSA and the local authority found samples containing levels of micro-organisms that breach food safety regulations.
The local authority North Devon District Council also found salmonella in a batch of cheese made with raw drinking milk by the company.
The affected batch of cheese has been withdrawn from sale and consumers alerted (a Product Recall Information Notice can be found via the link below).
There are strict regulations in place controlling the sale of raw drinking milk because bacteria can be present that would otherwise be killed by heat treatment if the milk was pasteurised. The regulations state that it is an offence to sell raw drinking milk that fails to comply with the microbiological hygiene criteria.
FSA dairy hygiene and local authority inspectors are working with Barton Farm Dairy to identify and resolve the cause of the problems to ensure the company is meeting its food safety obligations and the food they sell is safe.
The FSA rejects Barton Farm Dairy’s claim that this action is harassment. This is a completely unfounded allegation. The FSA has a duty to protect consumers from potentially harmful food products.
More in this section
Barton Farm Dairy Kentisbury Down soft cheese recall
Barton Farm Dairy has been advised to recall a batch of Kentisbury Down soft cheese because of the presence of salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning
Credit FSA
Barton Farm is also under restriction while an investigation into bovine TB takes place.
Raw milk producers Gary and Linda Wright of Kentisbury have suffered the fresh blow just as they were getting their specialist business back on its feet.
"We're all in shock," said Linda, as she and daughter, Emily, saw their 130 cows out into the fields after milking on Tuesday.
The dairy is one of few in Britain selling raw milk and cheeses made from it.
Linda said: "We were told yesterday that one of the old barreners had lesions when she was tested.
"So they put us on 8-10 week restriction while they find out if she had TB.
"In the meantime we can't sell the raw milk or cheese."
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) stopped the Wrights selling raw milk products last October while they investigated two cases of ecoli food poisoning in the London area.
The farm's products were also recalled from customers around the country but the Wrights said their own independent tests have never found ecoli in their milk or cheese.
They were given the go ahead to restart raw milk and cheese sales during the spring and were preparing for the busy Christmas food markets while also expanding their raw milk sales.
The FSA has told the Journal: "Barton Farm has been advised to stop selling raw drinking milk after FSA tests found samples containing levels of micro-organisms that breach food safety regulations.
"North Devon District Council also found salmonella in a batch of cheese made by the company with raw drinking milk.
"The affected batch of cheese has been withdrawn from sale and consumers alerted."
Linda denied the presence of salmonella and they stand by their product.
"Our own results show no salmonella, and so do their subsequent tests," said LInda.
"Our microbiological count in the milk was too high in their test and a few other tests.
"We have subsequently found a split liner in the parlour that has caused the problem.
"We stand by our product. We are very proud of what we have achieved and we have great support from many customers far and wide and in the end truth prevails."
Linda said the FSA shutting the raw milk business down again after testing their cheese had come just as they had "built the round up bigger than before and we were looking forward to all the markets".
She said: "Now all the cattle will have to have two clear tests before we can start selling (raw milk products) again.
"The raw milk is a major contributor to the farm. We're going to have to review it all now."
Credit : North Devon Journal
FSA statement about Barton Farm Dairy
Barton Farm (Kentisbury, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4NQ) has been advised by the FSA to stop selling raw drinking milk after tests carried out by the FSA and the local authority found samples containing levels of micro-organisms that breach food safety regulations.
The local authority North Devon District Council also found salmonella in a batch of cheese made with raw drinking milk by the company.
The affected batch of cheese has been withdrawn from sale and consumers alerted (a Product Recall Information Notice can be found via the link below).
There are strict regulations in place controlling the sale of raw drinking milk because bacteria can be present that would otherwise be killed by heat treatment if the milk was pasteurised. The regulations state that it is an offence to sell raw drinking milk that fails to comply with the microbiological hygiene criteria.
FSA dairy hygiene and local authority inspectors are working with Barton Farm Dairy to identify and resolve the cause of the problems to ensure the company is meeting its food safety obligations and the food they sell is safe.
The FSA rejects Barton Farm Dairy’s claim that this action is harassment. This is a completely unfounded allegation. The FSA has a duty to protect consumers from potentially harmful food products.
More in this section
Barton Farm Dairy Kentisbury Down soft cheese recall
Barton Farm Dairy has been advised to recall a batch of Kentisbury Down soft cheese because of the presence of salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning
Credit FSA