Charges of involuntary manslaughter have been filed – E. coli bacteria found in pizzas – Company recalls product, issues statement

Nestlé’s French subsidiary has been charged in a case involving contaminated pizzas suspected of causing the deaths of two children, the company announced today.

The unit, which operates the plant in northern France that produced Buitoni’s Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas, along with Nestlé France, was prosecuted this week, according to a company statement without further details.

French prosecutors opened an investigation in May 2022 into involuntary manslaughter and involuntary harm after several customers fell ill from eating batches of Buitoni Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

A company spokesman said today that prosecutors have filed charges against Nestlé France and Société des Produits Alimentaires de Caudry, the subsidiary overseeing the factory where the tainted pizzas were made. Nestlé suspended production of the contaminated products in March 2022.

Background

In February 2022, health authorities were alerted to a resurgence of cases of kidney failure in children linked to Escherichia coli infection. Two children died from Escherichia coli infection, and fifty-six others suffered from hemolytic uremic syndrome, which affects the kidneys.

The indictment is preliminary, meaning there is an ongoing investigation and no decision has been made. “Nestlé France intends to take full responsibility in the case. We hope these legal proceedings will help to fully clarify the circumstances of this dramatic event and provide some comfort to the victims and their families,” the company said in a statement.

The scandal affected dozens of people in 2022. A year later, Nestlé reached an agreement to compensate 63 victims and their families.