Just read breaking news that a batch of Cantal entre deux has been found to contain e-coli and people who buy pre-packaged cheese in supermarkets are advised to check what they’ve got. See:-
We buy ours in giant wedges from a local fromagier who has sells four different types of Cantal, so will ask him tomorrow for more info.
Edit: Just read this in La Depeche which gives more info than above:-
Pretty regular event that batches of cheese/yoghurt are withdrawn for e.coli. Artisan cheese makes have very careful hygiene control as any problems can really hurt their business. One local one ended up closed for over a month for total sanitation, which cost them a lot,
Conversely, I remember Sandhams, whose wonderful Lancashire cheeses have won many prizes over the years deciding to replace their two hundred year old building with a brand new state of the art cheese making unit. Unfortunately cheese made in the new place was terrible and the business fell into a parlous state.
Eventually, after lots of consultations they were advised to obtain some bacteria from the old building. Worked a treat - the new unit had been too sterile.
I don’t remember Sandham’s Lancashire cheese.
Where was their dairy?
Just checked, and we have a block of the affected cheese from Leclerc. We’ve already eaten half of it, but fortunately it’s all been cooked at high temperature in the oven for at least 30 minutes. We thankfully haven’t eaten any of it raw, which we may have done tomorrow. It’s a bit worrying that the Rappel Conso website says that it can take up to seven days for symptoms to occur
On the A6 just north of the M55.
Their best known cheese is probably Sandham’s Lancashire Creamy. Was one of my favourites, unfortunately have never found anything like it down here.
They had a load of posters up in Carrefour about it and other cheeses last weeK.
Hope you’ll be OK.
If it hadn’t been a local and very popular cheese, I might not have posted the warning.
Bought it about 10 days ago I think in Leclerc in Carcassonne. Ate some of it first about a week ago and both feeling fine so it’ll be OK. Just lucky we didn’t eat any uncooked…