The scandal of contamination with E. coli bacteria by industrial pizzas of the Buitoni brand is spreading: a complaint targeting a second range was filed on Wednesday, a few weeks after the discovery of numerous cases in children.
A 34-year-old mother from Perpignan, who fell ill after “consuming a pizza from the Bella Napoli range” according to her lawyer, filed a complaint for “involuntary injuries” against the manufacturer belonging to the Nestlé group.
The Fraîch’Up model was already under investigation after around fifty cases of contamination with Escherichia Coli bacteria, some of which could have been linked to the consumption of these pizzas. Among them, 48 children, two of whom died without a direct link having been established to date with the consumption of pizzas.
She ate this pizza on March 27 and “was hospitalized on the 29th for six days,” Pierre Debuisson told AFP, confirming information from BFM TV.
“The analysis results revealed the presence of the E.coli bacterium”, as for previous contaminations linked to the Fraîch’Up range, and of another bacterium, Shigella, he added.
– “Always on sale” –
“She is still very tired a month later,” says Me Debuisson.
“Her husband contacted Buitoni to ask for the removal of the pizza without getting an answer, and he contacted the food safety and health quality service, which simply said that he had transmitted the information to the ARS (regional agency health, editor’s note)”, explains the lawyer.
“The pizzas are still on sale, there is a precautionary principle which is not respected at all by the ARS and by Buitoni”, estimates this council, already engaged in the defense of several families affected by E. Coli in the face of Buitoni.
This complaint comes a few weeks after the opening of an investigation on March 22 by the Paris prosecutor’s office for “deception on goods, exhibition or sale of corrupt or falsified and harmful food products for health, placing on the market of a product harmful to health, endangering others, involuntary injury and manslaughter”.
The investigations are conducted by the public health department of the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Health authorities had been alerted in February by the resurgence of cases of kidney failure in children, linked to contamination by Escherichia coli.
– Searches –
On March 18, Nestlé announced the withdrawal of pizzas from the Fraîch’Up range marketed since June 2021, after being informed of the presence of the bacteria in the dough of a product.
On March 30, the health authorities announced that they had established a link between the consumption of these pizzas and several serious cases of contamination before the prefect of the Nord department banned, two days later, the production of pizzas at the Caudry site. (North).
Inspections had pointed out “the presence of rodents and the absence of means of protection against the entry of pests and effective pest control adapted to a food activity”, as well as the “lack of maintenance and cleaning manufacturing, storage and transit areas”.
Shortcomings which could be the cause of the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the products then marketed.
Searches took place on April 13 in the Caudry factory, and at the headquarters of the Nestlé group, in Hauts-de-Seine.