A family-owned artisan cheese farm in Salmon Arm said it has been cleared to start selling cheese again after a public recall in September over concerns of E. coli contamination.
Gort’s Gouda Cheese Farm announced the news on its Facebook page Friday.
It said E. coli was found on only two wheels of red pepper Gouda cheese out of a batch of more than 30 wheels.
“Where it came from and why only (two) wheels we are baffled,” said the online post.
“Over 500 raw milk cheeses were destroyed, all our summer raw milk cheese. In all the swabbing done on our farm the (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) were not able to find E. coli.”
The farm had only been selling pasteurized, non-cheese products such as milk and yogurt since the recall after the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and Interior Health issued a public warning to avoid eating cheese products from the farm. Fifteen products manufactured at the farm were recalled.
At least 24 cases of E. coli linked to contaminated cheese products from B.C. were reported. An elderly Vernon woman died of the bacteria in August after eating contaminated cheese.
The farm is owned and operated by the Wikkerink family, who purchased the operation in August 2007.
