Salmonella scare at vegetarian restaurant

Published on Thursday 19 April 2007 00:11

ONE of Scotland's best-known vegetarian and wholefood restaurants is at the centre of a salmonella scare, it emerged last night.

An unusual strain of the bacteria was found in a pot of muesli at Henderson's, which has been an Edinburgh institution for more than 40 years. Its owners have previously been fined twice for breaching food safety laws.

The contamination was discovered after a sample of the food was sent to a private laboratory for routine microbiological analysis.

Health officials said the salmonella may have originated in ingredients supplied to the Hanover Street restaurant. A statement issued by Edinburgh City Council made clear that there were no concerns about food safety at family-run Henderson's.

Food safety officials have taken further samples of the oats and nuts that make up the muesli, which is sold in yoghurt, to find the source of the problem.

Anyone who has bought the product, which is sold in portion tubs and has a shelf life of five days, is urged to return to it Henderson's to obtain a refund. The affected sample was taken on 20 March.

Sheila Gilmore, the local authority's executive member for housing and community safety, urged anyone with concerns about the product to contact the city's environmental health department.

She said: "We are committed to ensuring that the public has the relevant information on food safety in the city."

In 2002, the owners of Henderson's were fined 7,500 after inspectors found filthy and unhygienic conditions in the firm's bakery on the Stewartfield industrial estate.

A sheriff condemned the breaches, which included the presence of pigeons, rodent droppings, dirt on trays and mouldy fruit.

The bakery was closed following the inspection and cleaned until it was ready to reopen a few days later. Staff were retrained in health and safety practices.

The firm was fined 2,500 for similar breaches at the bakery in August of the previous year.

A manager at Henderson's, who declined to be named, last night pointed out that the sample of muesli was taken almost one month ago.

Customers who were aware of the product's five-day shelf life would have already consumed it or thrown it away, the manager added.

Yesterday's council statement said: "

There are no concerns about food safety within Henderson's and the salmonella may have originated in a product they have bought in.

"As a precaution, Henderson's have withdrawn this product and the constituent ingredients from sale," the statement added.

Henderson's claims to promote organic, GM-free and additive-free produce, as well as its use of local producers and suppliers.