Published: July 28, 2012
Health concerns prompt food alert to Burnham-On-Sea residents

Environmental health officers have this week issued a warning to shoppers in the Burnham-On-Sea area to be on the look out for a brand of olives that may pose a health risk.

Sedgemoor District Council's Environmental Health team have contacted over 120 food premises across Sedgemoor after receiving a national food alert from the Food Standards Agency.

A single jar of the olives tested positive for the C.botulinum type B toxin.

The council says the product is most likely being sold via specialist delicatessens and on farmers market stalls.

"The labelling information on the jar is solely in Italian. Only one jar from the batch is currently known to have been contaminated with C.botulinum which causes Botulism, but the Food Standards Agency is advising consumers not to eat the contents of jars from this batch as a precautionary measure. The presence of C.botulinum renders the product a potential health risk," a council spokesman told Burnham-On-Sea.com.

She added that identification of the affected product is possible by the product name on the label. This is a variety of olive rather than a brand - Olive Bella Di Cerignola. The brand/trade name is DIVINI di Chicco Francesco. The lot number is 161/11 with a best before date of 10/06/2014. The producer details on the label are: Divini di Chicco Francesco, Via Catalina, 3, Andria (BA), Italy.

Members of the public who have a jar of the olives should contact Sedgemoor's Sandra Cheung on 01278 435338 or Dean Nuralli on 01278 435768 for information.