PROSECUTORS have found no evidence to link the death of a three-year-old girl with the blue cheese blamed for a fatal outbreak of E.coli poisoning.
But the Crown Office is ‘carefully considering’ whether a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) should be held into the death last year of the Dunbartonshire child, whose identity has not been disclosed.
Crown officials said there would be no criminal proceedings against Errington Cheese, which made the bestselling Dunsyre Blue brand, named by food agencies as the most likely source of the outbreak.
Read More: Founder of Errington Cheese forced to lay off staff after E.Coli death
A total of 26 cases of the same strain of E-coli O157 were identified in the outbreak, which occurred between July and mid-September 2016. Seventeen people were hospitalised and a three-year-old girl died.
The Lanarkshire-based cheesemaker no longer produces Dunsyre blue. Humphrey Errington, who founded the company, welcomed the Crown Office decision.
“We have never accepted that our cheese had anything to do with the illness that led to this tragic death. This decision from the procurator fiscal is a profound reassurance to us.”
Read More: Food watchdog bans Errington cheese sales amid E.Coli outbreak
Food Standards Scotland (FSS), responsible for food safety, and Health Protection Scotland, part of the NHS, investigated the outbreak and concluded in March this year that Dunsyre Blue was the source.
The agencies subsequently attempted to remove all Errington cheeses from supermarket shelves, forcing the firm to go to court to overturn the ban. In December this year, a sheriff will determine if there is any scientific evidence to justify banning Errington cheeses following the outbreak.
In response to the Crown Office decision, Geoff Ogle, chief executive of the FSS, said: “The decision made by crown counsel is independent and separate to the decisions made during this incident, and has different requirements to decisions made under food law.
“We note the decision on whether to proceed with an FAI is still under careful consideration, and as there is still an ongoing court case, it would be inappropriate to comment further.” Last month, health inspectors found that Errington’s local water supply did not conform to health standards.
Some Errington products are still being made and this week its Lanark Blue cheese was named second-best blue cheese in Britain.
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