Stuttgart (dpa) - Two German states stepped up a warning Wednesday
against an Italian brand of white cheese, saying it was contaminated
with dangerous bacteria which could kill babies and old people.
Shoppers who found ricotta salata made by two Cremona dairies in
their refrigerators should destroy it, the states of Baden-
Wuerttemberg and Rheinland-Pfalz said. Stocks have already been
removed from supermarkets after a first alert last month.
Ricotta salata is a salty cheese made from sheep's milk with a
dense but slightly spongy texture.
A health official in Stuttgart said food scientists in the city of
Koblenz had established Tuesday that production from the two Cremona
dairies, P.S. Giacomo and Gennaro Anrichhio, was more contaminated
than originally thought in mid-March.
Samples contained high concentrations of the bacteria Listeria
monocytogenes, which can keep growing under refrigeration and causes
intestinal complaints, diarrhoea and cold-like symptoms which are
worst, and potentially fatal, for those with weak immunity.
The health spokeswoman said the cheese could be recognized by an
oval logo of origin saying "IT 03/180 CE."
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