The prefect of the North has banned the production of pizzas at the Buitoni factory in Caudry, after several serious cases of contamination of children by the E. coli bacterium and deaths, possibly linked to the consumption of these products, indicated Wednesday the prefecture of the North.
“The industrial activity of food production, with regard to the two pizza production lines of the factory” of Caudry is “stopped”, can we read in a prefectural decree issued on April 1 that AFP was able to consult, confirming information from Le Canard enchainé.
This decision “follows two in-depth hygiene inspections” carried out on March 22 and 29 by agents from the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP) in the North and the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and the repression of fraud (DGCCRF), “as part of their investigations carried out in connection with the E. coli alert”, specified the prefecture to AFP.
“A degraded level of food hygiene control”
The authorities point to a “degraded level of control of food hygiene.” The observation of the agents of the hygiene services and the repression of fraud is particularly severe. The document from the Prefecture du Nord mentions, in Caudry for example, the presence of rodents without anything being done to eliminate them. The report also notes a lack of maintenance and cleaning of manufacturing areas, storage and certain equipment or materials used in the production of “Fraich’up” pizzas.
The inspectors also mention an insufficient air extraction system. Abnormalities that constitute an important source of microbiological or chemical contamination of foodstuffs. According to the Nord Prefecture, the general condition of the premises constitutes a threat to public health.
“Investigation for manslaughter, deception and endangering the life of others opened”
The Nord Prefecture specifies, in its decree, that the sources of contamination with the E.coli bacterium are not identified. Nestlé France indicated last week that analyzes carried out on the site after these inspections had not made it possible to detect this bacterium. However, the factory is prohibited from resuming pizza production until it restores food hygiene rules.
An investigation for manslaughter, deception and endangering the lives of others has been opened in this case by the public health department of the Paris prosecutor’s office. Two deaths of children are possibly linked to this contamination. Some parents of infected children have already planned to bring civil action.