The North’s governor banned pizza production at the Buitoni factory in Caudry, after several serious cases of Escherichia coli contamination of children and deaths, possibly linked to the consumption of these products, indicated on Wednesday to North County.
“Industrial activity of food production has stopped, in connection with the two pizza production lines at the Kodori factory,” can we read in the prefecture decree of 1st April that AFP was able to consult with him, confirming the information received from Chained Duck.
This decision “comes after two in-depth hygiene inspections” conducted on March 22 and 29 by agents from the Directorate of Population Protection (DDPP) in the North and the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Suppression (DGCCRF), “as part of the investigations conducted in connection with the Escherichia alert coli STEC,” the county identified to AFP.
These inspections “highlighted the deterioration in the level of food hygiene control at the Caudry plant, which justified an order to cease industrial production activities at the plant”.
Increased incidence of kidney failure
Rescission of the decree and the resumption of production “will be conditioned on the plant’s compliance with its obligations regarding food hygiene”, and “controls and management of microbiological risks.”
Since the end of February, France has seen a re-emergence of cases of kidney failure in children associated with E. coli contamination. Health authorities have confirmed that many of these cases are linked to the consumption of Buitoni’s Fraich’Up pizza, which is produced at the Caudry location.
And Nestlé took 75 samples from the production line in question and from across the plant, “all negative,” Pierre Alexandre Tioli, general manager of communications at Nestlé France, told AFP on March 31. An investigation into this case was opened on March 22 into cases of “manslaughter”, “deception” and “endangerment of others”, led by the Public Health Center of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Paris.