Frozen pizza contaminated with intestinal bacteria: two children died – 75 fell ill

Created: 2022-04-05 04:51

By: Martina Lippl

France warns of bacteria in frozen pizzas (symbol photo).

© Andre Bonn/imago

Escherichia coli bacteria in frozen pizza!

France warns consumers against consuming a product.

Two children died from food poisoning.

Paris – At first it was just a suspicion.

The French Ministry of Health is now warning consumers against eating Nestlé's Buitoni Fraîch'Up frozen pizzas.

The pizzas could potentially be contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.

According to the ministry, there have already been two deaths and dozens of illnesses in France.

Frozen pizza contaminated with bacteria: Infection can lead to serious illness and death

Infection with the gut bacteria can lead to acute kidney failure and serious blood problems.

75 children and adolescents are already suffering from haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and 34 others are currently being examined (as of March 28).

Some cases of Escherichia coli bacteria would be linked to eating the pizza, the ministry confirmed.

"The quality and food safety of our products is our top priority and we are working with authorities to determine what may have happened," the company said in a statement.

Customers are asked to discard all Fraîch'Up pizzas.

The source of the bacteria on the pizzas is still unclear.

The group recalled all pizzas purchased before March 18.

The two production sites in Caudry in northern France have been temporarily closed and the sale of the products has stopped.

The affected frozen pizzas are all products from the range that have been sold since June 2021.

According to the authorities, anyone who still has a pizza in the freezer should not eat it.

According to the ministry, anyone who has already eaten a pizza should pay attention to the following and immediately consult a doctor and report the consumption:

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS): You should look out for these symptoms

• If diarrhea, abdominal pain or vomiting occurs within ten days.

• If there are signs of great tiredness, pale skin, decreased and darkened urine within 15 days.

• Anyone who has not noticed anything after 14 days and has no symptoms need not worry.

Bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) on frozen pizza: food scandal in France

It is one of the largest known epidemics of E. coli bacteria in France, reports the channel France Info.

"This is the largest epidemic ever described in France," Gabrielle Jones, an epidemiologist at the French health authorities, told the broadcaster.

About 160 cases of HUS are reported each year.

"So we're already halfway through what we normally see in a year," Jones said.

That worries her.

Most of the families surveyed ate frozen pizzas.

Various hypotheses would be explored.

Also why contamination could occur despite a baked pizza.

"It could be dealing with the unbaked pizza," suspects the epidemiologist.

According to Jones, patients have kidney problems with E. coli poisoning, but there can also be other complications that affect the brain and heart and can then lead to death.

In the media, employees report catastrophic sanitary conditions in the company's production facility in northern France.

Shocking photos are spreading on social media.

Moldy walls and completely covered grilles in a factory can be seen.

As reported by France Info, the Paris public prosecutor's office has been investigating since April 1st.

It is also about the allegation of marketing a harmful product, endangering others, negligent bodily harm and negligent homicide.