A large batch of Mozzarella which was imported in to Italy from Germany has turned up blue in some shops in the north of the country, triggering a Europe-wide alert by the Italian health ministry.
The ministry alerted European and German authorities after police seized about 70,000 mozzarellas in northern Italy which had been made at a German factory, it said in a statement.
The blue mozzarellas was first spotted by a Turin shopper who was less than pleased when it took on a bluish tint after it was first exposed to the air.
She immediately called the police who in turn contacted officials from the health ministry.
Early tests at an institute in Turin found the colouring to be caused by a bacterium rather than a toxin and it does not appear to be hazardous to health.
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.
The soft, white cheese is eaten regularly by 60 per cent of Italians. The blue batch was made for an Italian company, and distributed it to discount supermarkets.