A commission official travelled to Italy this week to investigate a food poisoning scare

Date: 12/09/1996

thought to be linked to mascarpone cheese. The alarm, which triggered the Union's 'rapid alert system', followed the death of a 15-year-old boy in Naples and at least six other cases of botulism in southern Italy. If the Commission finds that all necessary safety measures have not been implemented by the Rome authorities, it may introduce its own safeguards.