Graham's Family Dairy is recalling batches of its semi-skimmed milk after health chiefs found veterinary medicines, including the antibiotic penicillin, in the affected products. The recall covers milk with a use-by date of July 31.
The Food Standards Agency said the contamination "may make it unsafe to consume and may be a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to antibiotics." According to the NHS, around one in 100 Britons have a penicillin allergy, which can trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis.
The recall affects one pint, one litre and two litre cartons sold in England and Scotland. Graham's supplies major supermarkets including Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, Waitrose and Sainsbury's. Waitrose sells the two litre carton, around three-and-a-half pints, for £2.35, Tesco charges £1.20 for the one litre carton, and ASDA stocks the one pint carton for 98p.
Health risks of the contamination
Symptoms of anaphylaxis can come on suddenly and include swelling of the throat and tongue, along with difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing and dizziness. Around 20 to 30 people die from the reaction in the UK every year.
Customers are being advised not to drink the affected milk and to return it to the store where it was bought for a full refund.
Graham's response
Graham's, a family dairy business from Scotland, said the recall is a "precautionary measure" and stressed there is a small risk a trace level of antibiotics may be present in the milk. The company apologised for the issue and said no other Graham's Family Dairies products or use-by dates are affected. The recalled products were not from Graham's organic range.
How dairy farmers test for antibiotics
Dairy UK, which represents Britain's dairy industry, says milk contaminated with antibiotics should not be consumed by humans. Farmers use two main tests to check for traces of the medicines after a cow finishes antibiotic treatment: a three-hour test that detects multiple antibiotics or substances when the contamination is unknown, and a rapid test that looks for specific groups of antibiotics, such as penicillin, with results in around 10 minutes. Dairy UK says test kits vary in their sensitivity to detect different antibiotics, meaning some medicines are easier to spot than others.
