Italian Authorities Raise Alarm over Mozzarella

A batch of about 70,000 mozzarella balls which turned blue upon opening has been confiscated by food authorities in Italy, officials have announced.

The health ministry said it had activated the European ‘rapid alert’ system to warn of possible contamination, and announced emergency control measures on the cheese.

The cheese – made in Germany for an Italian company – has been removed from shelves and samples sent for testing.

Initial tests found the colouring to be caused by bacteria, rather than toxic contamination, AFP reported.

Analysts suggested the colouring could also indicate the presence of copper, nickel or lead in the milk used to make the cheese, or the solution used to preserve it.