The brand of frozen pizzas Buitoni (Nestlé) announced, Friday, March 18, in a press release, the immediate recall of the entire Fraîch’Up range due to the presence of the bacterium Escherichia coli.
The French public health agency announced on March 12 that the resurgence of cases of serious contamination with the bacterium E.coli had caused the death of two children in France since the beginning of the year.
Buitoni asks consumers who bought Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas before March 18, 2022 not to eat them and to throw them away, after being informed of the presence of the bacteria Escherichia coli in the dough of a product.
In a statement Friday evening, health authorities point out that, as part of the ongoing investigations into cases of severe hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) reported since 1er January in France, “the analyzes (epidemiological, microbiological and traceability) carried out suggest, at this stage, a possible link with the consumption of frozen pizzas from the Fraîch’Up range of the Buitoni brand”.
“Investigations are continuing to determine the origin of the contamination, including for other products, as well as epidemiological investigations, in order to establish potential links with all the cases detected in the territory since the beginning of January 2022”also details the joint press release from the Directorate General for Health (DGS), Public Health France and the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention.
Fifty-eight cases in twelve regions of France
As of March 17, twenty-seven cases of HUS or serious infection, linked to the bacterium E.coli with similar characteristics, had been identified, “and thirty-one additional cases are under investigation”according to this press release. “The sick children, aged 1 to 18 years with a median age of 5.5 years, presented symptoms between 10/01/2022 and 10/03/2022. Two children diedhe is reminded.
“These fifty-eight cases occurred in twelve regions of metropolitan France: Hauts-de-France (thirteen cases), New Aquitaine (nine cases), Pays de la Loire (nine cases), Brittany (six cases), Ile- de-France (six cases), Grand-Est (five cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (three cases), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (two cases), Centre-Val de Loire (two cases), Normandy (one case ), Occitanie (one case) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (one case)”details the press release.
Earlier in the day, the managing director in charge of communications at Nestlé France, Pierre-Alexandre Teulié, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that “public authorities [étaient] investigating the resurgence of cases of haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) linked to E.coli to understand its origin..
“There is no proven link between our products and the poisonings that have occurred”he said, adding that the recall was a “Buitoni’s initiative in the name of the precautionary principle”. “We have been notified that an uneaten pizza showed traces ofEscherichia coli »said Mr. Teulié.
The DGS told AFP that the strains detected in a Buitoni Fraîch’Up pizza were bacteria E.coli producers of shigatoxins, for which there is no regulatory safety criterion, but a criterion “opposable to professionals” theirs is “applied routinely by professionals and services of the General Directorate for Food”. “One of the characteristics of frozen pizzas is that the Escherichia coli disappear with the heat, a pizza placed in the oven no longer presents any danger if it is eaten”according to Mr. Teulié.
Consumers can take a photo of the packaging with the references to be reimbursed by contacting consumer services, the brand adds, apologizing to buyers. “Our manufacturing procedures, our quality controls and compliance with storage, preparation and cooking instructions guarantee the hygiene and food safety of our pizzas”specifies Buitoni in its press release.