ROME — Italian police confiscated about 70,000 balls of mozzarella in Turin after consumers noticed the milky-white cheese developed a bluish tint when the package was opened, authorities said Saturday.
Agriculture Minister Giancarlo Galan ordered ministry laboratories to investigate what he called a “disturbing” development.
State TV said a woman in Turin called police after noticing that the mozzarella, made in Germany for an Italian company, turned blue after contact with air, and that several merchants in Turin had received similar complaints. Later in the day, another consumer, in Trento, a city 125 miles to the east in northern Italy, made a similar discovery, authorities said.
Samples were sent to laboratories that normally deal with anti-doping testing in sport to see whether they could detect any foreign substances. Results were expected in a few days.
No cases of illness were reported.
The mysterious blue mozzarella was the latest embarrassment for a food that is a point of pride for Italians and a staple in pizzas, panini and even the signature “caprese” salad in the red-white-and-green colors of the national flag — ripe tomatoes, creamy rich cheese and fragrant basil leaves. Most prized of all, the mozzarella is the kind made from buffalo milk.
But this year, Italian agriculture authorities said some of the buffalo mozzarella, which comes from an area south of Rome, had fallen below standard after traces of cow’s milk were found in it.
