Woringen, Germany  - Investigators who rushed to a German cheese factory last week after an Italian newspaper reported on a mouldy-cheese scandal said Wednesday they had not detected anything suspicious so far.

Bavaria state food inspectors in Erlangen said cheese from the factory at Woringen on the north slope of the Alps appeared to be healthy, adding, "We have not found any impending danger."

The inspector said more laboratory checks were needed before a final report could be issued.

The cheese factory was searched on Friday and told to suspend cheese sales after an Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, had suggested condemned Italian cheese containing mould and rat droppings was being shipped north to turn into processed cheese for supermarkets.

It later emerged that La Repubblica was describing a finding by government investigators two years ago, not a recent event.

Public prosecutors near Woringen seized documents from the factory on Friday and have been reading them. Police said at the time it was too soon to say if there was any truth to the allegations. (dpa)