The production of pizzas at the Buitoni factory in Caudry in the North of France has been banned, following several serious cases of contamination of children by the bacterium Escherichia coli and deaths, possibly linked to the consumption of these products. , local authorities said.
“The industrial activity of food production, with regard to the two pizza production lines of the factory” of Caudry is “stopped”, indicates an order issued on April 1 by the prefecture of the Nord department, confirming information from the French weekly The chained Duck.
Rodents in the bakery workshop
This decision “follows two in-depth hygiene inspections” carried out on March 22 and 29 by departmental agents responsible for enforcing consumer rights, said the prefecture.
These inspections “highlighted a degraded level of food hygiene control in the Caudry factory. The inspectors also noted the presence of rodents at the level of the bakery workshop and “the absence of means of protection against the entry of pests and effective pest control adapted to a food activity”.
All of this justified the issuing of an order for the cessation of industrial production activities in the factory”. The repeal of the decree and the resumption of production “will be conditional on the factory’s compliance with its obligations in terms of food hygiene”, and “of controls and risk management microbiological”.
An investigation for “involuntary homicides”
Since the end of February, France has experienced a resurgence of cases of kidney failure in children linked to contamination with E. coli. Several of these cases are linked to the consumption of Fraich’Up pizzas from Buitoni, produced at the Caudry site, the health authorities have confirmed.
Nestlé took 75 samples from the production line concerned and throughout the factory, “all negative”, said Pierre-Alexandre Teulié, general manager of communication for Nestlé France, on March 31.
An investigation for “manslaughter”, “deception” and “endangering others” was opened on March 22 by the French justice system in this case.