E.Coli bacteria: here’s why you should throw away those Buitoni pizzas

Have you recently bought Fraich’up Buitoni frozen pizzas? Do not consume them.

Public Health France’s message is very clear: “Given this situation, the authorities are asking people who hold Buitoni brand Fraîch’Up pizzas not to eat them and to destroy them. Each household is invited to ensure that its freezer does not contain any. It is also recommended that people holding frozen pizzas in their freezer that have been separated from their box, and whose range and brand cannot be formally identified or clearly known, not to consume them and to destroy them.“.

41 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)

Between early January 2022 and March 28, 2022, 75 cases are under investigation, including 41 severe cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in children. In question ? Bacteria contamination Escherichia coli. 34 additional cases are still under investigation and two children have died from this infection.

For the past two weeks, health authorities have been carrying out a massive pizza recall. These contaminations with E. coli bacteria cause kidney failure which occurs in children. If the link between the disease and the consumption of these pizzas was not sure a few weeks ago, today it is confirmed, announced in a press release the general directorate of health.

Nestlé says the swabs are negative

After the resurgence of cases of kidney failure in children, Nestlé conducted 75 samples on the entire manufacturing line affected by the problem. They would be “all negative”, told AFP Pierre-Alexandre Teulié, director general of communication for Nestlé France.

Photos transmitted by a former employee of the company and published on the site Mr Globalization in May 2021 were taken over by RMC on Thursday. They show a dirty, shabby factory with worms and food on the floor. Nestlé’s general manager of communications denies this and affirms that “what they show does not represent the normal, usual or acceptable condition of the plant”. According to the CGT agrifood federation, it was a reorganization of the factory in 2015 that would have affected its hygiene. “Since then, the cleaning time has been reduced, and carried out by less well-trained people. This has been denounced for years, at Nestlé as elsewhere”, underlined Maryse Treton, of the CGT agri-food federation.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome: symptoms to recognize

Hemolytic uermic syndrome is most often a food-borne illness and is found to be serious in children under three years of age. She provokes acute kidney failure. Foods such as ground meat and raw milk products are usually culprits.

This disease is manifested by great fatigue, pallor, a decrease in urine which becomes darker, convulsions but also vomiting, diarrhea accompanied by blood as well as stomach aches. If you experience these symptoms within 10 to 15 days after consumption, it is best to call for help or contact a doctor quickly. Note that the HUS mortality rate is less than 1% in France.

The precautions to take

In order to protect themselves from any contamination with the E.Coli bacterium, the health authorities remind the good reflexes:

• Always wash your hands before preparing a meal;
• Cook meats thoroughly, especially minced meats and do not leave them pink;
• Do not give children under 5 years of age raw milk, cheese made from raw milk, or dairy products made from raw milk. Instead, choose cheeses such as Emmental, Comté, Beaufort, Gruyère… with a cooked pressed paste, processed cheese spreads or pasteurized milk;
• Be careful when cooking flour-based pasta such as cakes or pizzas, which should not be eaten raw or undercooked;
• Wash well before and after peeling vegetables, fruits, aromatic herbs…
• For storage, separate raw foods from cooked or ready-to-eat foods;
• Take care to quickly put leftover food and cooked meals in the refrigerator; they must be consumed quickly;
• Kitchen utensils, cutting boards and work surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned;
• During an outing, do not let children drink untreated water (as in wells or torrents, etc.) and avoid letting them swallow it also when swimming;
• Finally, avoid very young children (under 5 years old) contact with animals such as cows, calves, sheep, goats, deer… And in the event of contact with them, remember to wash their hands thoroughly. hands.