Examination of samples and verification of documentation did not confirm that the butter was contaminated with E.coli in the dairy cooperative in Września (Greater Poland) – said the district veterinarian. An investigation into this is ongoing.
The dairy denies that there has been any distribution of a product that “does not conform to applicable microbiological standards and requirements”.
According to “Wiadomości Wrzesińskich”, which publicized the matter last week, a quality specialist informed the president of the Dairy Cooperative Września about the alleged contamination of butter with bacteria. The E.coli bacteria were supposed to be in three blocks of butter produced in late January. According to the newspaper, the dairy decided to process 10 tons of butter and release it to the market. The employee who disclosed the entire case was dismissed.
An inspection at Spółdzielnia Dleczarska Września was announced last week by the poviat veterinary inspectorate. On Thursday, the poviat veterinarian Romuald Juściński told PAP that the tested samples of butter from the questioned batches and the analysis of documentation in the dairy did not confirm that the infection described by the press had occurred.
No irregularities were found
– We sampled butter withdrawn from stores, the result is negative, we found no coliform bacteria. The research was conducted by the Institute of Veterinary Hygiene in Poznań. In one case the result was acceptable, in the remaining cases – it is satisfactory – said Romuald Juściński.
– Earlier, we got the results of one piece of butter, where there was an overrun of coliform bacteria, but it was not a gross overrun. It is also not possible to blame the dairies for them, because it is not known when the bacteria multiplied – he added. As he explained, the responsibility may lie with the distributor or point of sale.
The district veterinarian also announced that as part of the inspection, the documentation concerning the production of the batch of the disputed butter was verified. No irregularities were found. All data was transferred to the prosecutor’s office conducting the investigation.
The investigation conducted by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Września concerns the possibility of bringing danger to the life or health of many people by producing and marketing foodstuffs that do not meet the applicable quality conditions. Such a crime is punishable by up to eight years in prison.
“These are slander”
The president of Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Września Dariusz Goliński has been stressing since last week that the information about contamination of butter is untrue. The dairy is considering legal action against a former employee. – Our butter is of good quality. These are the slander of the person who worked for us and was fired. The loss of image is large, so we will definitely take appropriate steps – Goliński told PAP. When asked why the quality officer was fired, he said that her position had been cut.
According to Goliński, if the information provided by the press were true, the amount of butter contaminated with E.coli for sale at the beginning of February, “due to the symptoms caused by this bacterium, would have to be noticed by consumers and state sanitary inspection units” .
– It is not true that the Września Dairy Cooperative has released on the market about 10 tons of butter that does not meet the applicable microbiological standards and requirements, including the fact that the butter produced on 27, 28 and 29 January 2018 would be contaminated with E.coli – he emphasized in a statement sent PAP.
The E.coli bacterium causes food poisoning, the symptoms of which are, among others vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and headache. “The occurrence of such symptoms, either on a mass scale or on an individual scale, has not been recorded by the relevant services anywhere” – stated the statement.