The mysterious case of the blue mozzarella

Italian police have seized some 70,000 portions of mozzarella in Turin after consumers reported the milky-white cheese developed a blue tinge soon after opening.

The Italian agriculture ministry announced emergency control measures on the cheese via the European “rapid alert” system.

It appears that the mysterious blue mozzarella was produced in Germany under license to an Italian company and destined for the shelves of a discount supermarket in the north of the country.

Food safety police confirmed that the contaminated product has been removed from shops.

Buffalo mozzarella is a product marked with Europe’s Protected Designation of Origin label, which means it has to be produced following strict criteria, including using only buffalo milk.

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