A farm shop brand has recalled bottles of milk over fears that they may be contaminated with E.coli bacteria. Kenneth Hanna’s Farm Shop issued a product recall in Northern Ireland for two litre bottles of Ken’s Raw Jersey Milk.

Customers who have bought the product were told: “Do not drink it or use it to make dairy products. Instead, return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it and any products made from it.”

A notice issued by the Food Standards Agency said the milk may contain Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC).

It added: “Symptoms caused by STEC organisms include severe diarrhoea (including bloody diarrhoea), abdominal pain, and sometimes haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure and can be fatal. 

“If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should stay away from work, school or nursery until you have stopped having symptoms for at least 48 hours to avoid passing it on to others.”

The recall applies to all use-by dates and all batch codes for the item. E.coli is a bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded organisms — including humans. 

Most strains are harmless but some can cause serious food poisoning.

Common sources of STEC outbreaks include raw or undercooked ground meat products, raw milk, and contaminated vegetables.

Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening illness.

The latest recall follows another this week for bags of macadamia nuts also feared to be contaminated with E.coli.