Hospital bans WI cakes because of 'health risk'

Cakes baked by a Women's Institute have been banned from a hospital as a potential health hazard.

The cakes were requested by the dietician at Saffron Walden Community Hospital as a treat for elderly patients at afternoon tea.

And members of Radwinter WI in Essex were only too happy to oblige. But their efforts have come to an abrupt halt after health care bosses decided the cakes could pose a health risk.

Uttlesford Primary Care Trust said they could not be sure that the kitchens where the women baked were clean enough and banned any further offerings.

Radwinter WI president Glynis Straker said: "We are told the patients loved having our homemade cakes and looked forward to their WI teas. It seems very sad patients are now denied this small nutritional pleasure. What dangers lurk inside a Victoria sandwich or fruit cake? We are sure our baking was more tasty and healthy than NHS purchased cakes with their artificial colours and preservatives." Marion Gillon, 88, said: "There has been no disease in my family coming from anything I have cooked." Fellow member Kath Brown added: "It is ridiculous.

"We are still allowed to bake for the WI to sell at places like the Essex Show so what is wrong with the patients eating them?" Uttlesford Primary Care Trust said that after seeking advice from environmental health officers and the NHS it was unable to accept any more cakes because "potential risks cannot be eliminated".

"We are not in any way suggesting the cakes the WI has kindly provided us are unsafe," said a spokeswoman.

However, she added, they had to "adhere to strict hygiene criteria and without inspecting the kitchens of WI members who prepare the cakes we cannot eliminate all potential risks".

A spokesman for Uttlesford district council's environmental health department confirmed that "everyone has to have a hazard assessment done when making and selling cakes to old people".