The European Commission waived, on 16 July, the prohibition in force for over a month on the 'blue mozzarellas' produced at a German plant, so described because they turned a bluish colour upon contact with the air. According to information provided the day before by the German authorities, the source of the contamination was eliminated and the bacteriological quality of the milk restored. On 1 July, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health banned trade in these products until it could be ensured that they were safe. Several tonnes of mozzarellas produced in Germany were pulled off shelves in Italy due to the contamination. Infected lots were also identified in Slovenia, France, Belarus and Russia, which import mozzarella from Germany. Analyses demonstrated that the problem was due to a bacteriological contamination.