A CLEANING error on one farm has been identified as the cause of the contamination that prompted Jersey Dairy to recall batches of milk and butter this week.
The dairy also confirmed that most of the affected products have now been recovered and disposal is under way, with no reports of illness linked to the incident.
Specific batches of 2.5% Fat Reduced Milk one litre (green pack) with a use-by date of 23 March and 250g Unsalted Butter (best before 8 June) were recalled on Thursday afternoon as a precaution following concerns about contamination.
In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, Jersey Dairy said the issue had been traced to an error on one farm during the cleaning of a milking parlour system, which resulted in an oil residue entering the system and contaminating milk collected during the next milking.
Managing Director Eamon Fenlon said the level of contamination had been extremely low.
“Calculations estimate it to be below one part per million, which is below standard testing detection thresholds,” he said. “As a result, these trace levels would not normally be identified through routine testing and quality control processes.
“Jersey Dairy maintains stringent, high-level testing protocols and procedures to ensure the safety and quality of all our products and consumer safety has always been our top priority.
“While this incident demonstrates that extremely low-level traces below detection limits can occur, it also shows that robust procedures are in place to respond quickly and responsibly when issues are identified.”
The company also stressed that all other Jersey Dairy products were unaffected and that there had been no reports of illness, with the risk to public health considered to be low.
Mr Fenlon added: “Jersey Dairy would like to thank customers, retailers, and regulatory authorities for their cooperation and understanding while this matter has been addressed.”
An Environmental Health investigation into the incident is ongoing, and Mr Fenlon said there would be no further comment until that process is complete.
The Infrastructure Department said on Friday that the risk to the public was “low”.
“Jersey Dairy has a long-established practice of disposing of contaminated products promptly and in full compliance with regulations,” it added.
However, it said: “We will be following up directly to review their procedures and begin to investigate how this error occurred.”
