The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office announced this Friday, April 1, the opening of an investigation for “involuntary homicides”, “deception” and “endangering others” after the discovery of a link between “several cases” of haemolytic syndromes and uremic (SHU) “and the consumption of frozen pizzas from the Fraîch’Up range of the Buitoni brand, contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria”, according to the General Directorate of Health. This investigation, conducted by the public health center of the Paris prosecutor’s office, has been open since March 22.
Since the end of February, France has experienced an upsurge in HUS cases linked to E. coli contamination. These cases, which cause kidney failure, occur in children. Two of them died as a result of these contaminations. In total, according to the latest count established on Wednesday, 41 serious cases have been identified and 34 additional are being assessed.
“Corrupt or falsified food products”
“The PSP, on seizure of the parquet floors of Nancy and Saint-Malo and in application of its competence in matters of offenses affecting health”, took up the investigation, specified the parquet floor of Paris. The investigation relates to the offenses of “cheating on goods, display or sale of corrupt or falsified food products harmful to health, placing on the market of a product harmful to health, endangering others, injuries involuntary and involuntary homicides”.
It was entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Damage to the Environment and Public Health (Oclaesp), the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie, the Investigations Department of the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and for the repression of fraud (DGCCRF) and the National Brigade for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Investigations (BNEVP) of the Ministry of Agriculture, said the prosecution.
75 cases in 12 different regions
These 75 cases occurred in 12 regions of metropolitan France: Hauts-de-France (16 cases), New Aquitaine (11 cases), Pays de la Loire (10 cases), Île-de-France (9 cases), Brittany (7 cases), Grand Est (5 cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (4 cases), Centre-Val de Loire (4 cases), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (3 cases), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (2 cases), Normandy (2 cases) and Occitanie (2 cases).
Until now, the health authorities considered that there was a “possible” link between these contaminations and the pizzas of the Fraîch’Up range. They had therefore already carried out a massive recall in mid-March, asking consumers to destroy these products. From now on, this link is therefore established with certain contaminations, even if the authorities do not specify if this is the case for those which caused the two deaths.
They recall the need to consult a doctor in the event of the appearance, within ten days after eating the pizza, of diarrhoea, abdominal pain or vomiting. The consultation is also essential if, within a fortnight, signs of great fatigue, pallor, or a decrease in the volume of urine, which become darker, appear. “In the absence of symptoms within 15 days of consumption, it is also reminded that there is no need to worry,” concludes the DGS.