WORINGEN, Germany (Reuters) - Police said on Saturday they had raided a cheese factory in southern Germany that they suspected may have been involved in selling out-of-date cheese linked to a case being investigated in Italy.
Italian media reported on Friday that financial police inthe northern city of Cremona had uncovered large amounts ofrotting cheese which was being mixed with fresh cheese and soldonto the market in Italy and Europe.
Police searched the factory in the southern German town ofWoringen on Friday, police spokesman Christian Owsinski said.
"We don't know yet if it really is a food scandal," headded. "We still need to verify this."
Police took food samples from the Woringen factory forlaboratory testing, the results of which would be known in themiddle of next week. They also took documents, Owsinski said,adding that the general manager was an Italian citizen.
"As to whether or not the company is involved in a network,we can't say for sure at the moment but we are continuing ourinvestigations," Owsinski said.
Earlier this year, several countries briefly banned Italianbuffalo mozzarella due to fears it was tainted with dioxins.
(Reporting by Reuters Television, writing by Paul Carrel;editing by Elizabeth Piper)
