THE oyster company at the centre of a food poisoning row says it has been unfairly blamed.

In January, 529 people who ate at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant became ill.

Mersea’s Colchester Oyster Fishery, which supplied the restaurant with the delicacy, was blamed amid accusations its oysters were affected with the norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

Graham Larkin, operations manager, says the evidence is far from conclusive.

He said: “Nine out of ten times, when people fall ill after eating at restaurants, seafood is blamed, particularly oysters, because they are eaten raw.

“However, the report by the Health Protection Agency into this outbreak also highlighted poor hygiene practices from staff, some of whom were working and preparing food when they had the virus, problems with razor clams from the south coast, and E.coli in Scottish langoustines, which had not been properly prepared.

“There is no damning proof our oysters were to blame.

“Tests have established levels of contaminants in the beds affected remained well under Government guidelines and, while we collect oysters in batches of up to 10,000, no other major problems were reported from other places which shared the batch that went to the Fat Duck.”

The company, which employs 30 people, follows stringent testing and safety guidelines, and the beds where the oysters were harvested, off Brightlingsea, remain closed, even though tests have shown they meet the relevant standards.

Mr Larkin has also criticised claims by Anglian Water the matter had nothing to do with it if the oysters had been affected with norovirus.

He said: “The norovirus only comes from human waste and the only beds supposedly affected were those immediately downstream from the effluent pipe.

“It has suggested discharges from pleasure boats could be to blame, but you do not get many of them about in January.

“It says run-off from fertilised fields or even birds could be to blame, but it simply does not make sense.

“This has been a very unfortunate episode and the first of its kind we have experienced, despite the fact we sell more than a million oysters a year.

“Our business has been slightly affected, but things are picking up once again and we have not had to lay off any staff.

“When you explain to people the full facts of what has happened, they are confident, as they should be, our oysters are, and will remain, safe to eat.”

The fishery is no longer supplying oysters to the Fat Duck, in Berkshire, which reopened in March after the outbreak.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said: “Extensive studies have been undertaken by the Environment Agency, Anglian Water and Essex University, the latter part-sponsored by the fishery, and none found any clear link.

“The treatment works is fully compliant with regulations and the adjacent bathing waters meet the European water quality guidelines.

“We take very seriously our responsibilities and co-operate fully with any investigation into possible pollution incidents. No evidence has been found of a link between our treatment works in Colchester and a deterioration in the quality of shellfish farmed at a nearby fishery.”