EU lifts buffalo mozzarella ban threat

The European Commission today lifted a threat to ban buffalo mozzarella across Europe.

The move was announced after Italy agreed to step up health and safety checks in the Campania region where dioxin-contaminated buffalo mozzarella has been found.

Last night the Commission warned it would use its power to invoke “safeguard measures” unless Italy took more action to counter the mozzarella crisis.

Brussels can order shelves to be cleared of a potentially dangerous product or can ban sales altogether.

But today a Commission spokeswoman said EU officials were now satisfied with the promises received from Rome that all necessary safety checks are being conducted to trace the source of the dioxin back to the buffalo farms responsible.

But she made clear that the Commission would keep its options open pending the successful eradication of contamination believed to have been caused by a long-standing waste management problem which has blighted Naples, close to the source of the dioxin outbreak.

Mountains of rubbish, including illegally-dumped toxic waste, is feared to have harboured disease which has now affected one of Italy’s biggest specialist food exports.

“The Italian authorities have asked for our help in organising health and safety checks and tracing the cause of the outbreak”, said the Commission spokeswoman.

She also insisted that consumers were at little risk from the contaminated mozzarella unless they ate it in large quantities. However, the Italian Government insists that none of the contaminated batches have left Italy.