Nestlé frozen pizza brand Buitoni issued an immediate recall for its entire range of Fraîch’up frozen pizzas in France and other countries, due to the risk of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria contamination. E.coli is usually killed during baking. Buitoni asked consumers who bought Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas before March 18, 2022 not to eat them and to throw them away.

The announcement was made after public health authorities in France announced serious cases of E.coli bacteria contamination were identified, leading to the death of two children since the beginning of the year, the same source added.

The French health authorities issued a statement saying that, in their current investigation of the prevalence of serious hemolytic and uremic syndromes (HUS), analysis suggests “a possible link with the consumption of frozen pizzas from the Fraîch’Up range of the Buitoni brand,” gettotext quoted. Investigations on the origin of the contamination are ongoing.

“Public authorities are investigating the recurrence of cases of E. coli-related haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in order to understand the origin,” Pierre-Alexandre Teulié, General Manager in charge of Communications at Nestle France was quoted by newsbeezer.com. Cases of HUV were found in children, two of whom have died.

Santé publique France, the Directorate General for Food (DGAL), Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and the Repression of Fraud (DGCCRF), and Directorate General for Health are analyzing all cases of pediatric HUS reported in 2022 to see if there is a link between them or a common source of contamination, FoodSafetyNews also reports.

Connexion France quotes Teulié, who also stated that there was no proven links between the products and the intoxications, but that the recall was initiated as a precaution.