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Breaking Health: E. coli warning Prompts Massive Frozen Pizza Recall
414,000 Cases Affected
Health Risk: High
Public health officials are urging consumers to throw away any Totino's or Jeno's brand frozen pizzas that contain pepperoni in the wake of a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections.
"We took action on that basis as a precaution, because of the possibility that a link might exist," said General Mills spokesman Tom Forsythe.
The company is asking people to throw away any pizza that they may have purchased that is being recalled.
The manufacturer, General Mills, has recalled all frozen pepperoni pizzas produced at their Wellston, Ohio, plant. More than 120 million of these pizzas have been distributed since the beginning of July.
Public health investigators in Tennessee and elsewhere have linked a growing number of people infected with E. coli O157:H7 to pizzas produced at the Ohio plant. The investigation is ongoing, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies are working with General Mills to identify the source of the problem.
To date, at least 21 lab-confirmed cases have been identified in 10 states -- Tennessee, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin and South Dakota. At least 10 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
"If you have any of these pizzas in your freezer, we recommend you throw them out," said William E. Keene, Ph.D., M.P.H., senior communicable disease epidemiologist at the Oregon Department of Human Services Public Health Division. "No cases have been reported in Oregon or other Western states, but this is a national recall. We don't want anyone to risk serious illness."
The specific products covered by the recall are as follows:
*Totino's Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Pepperoni, 10.2 oz.
*Totino's Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Classic Pepperoni, 10.2 oz.
*Totino's Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Pepperoni Trio, 10.2 oz.
*Totino's Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Three Meat Sausage, Canadian Style Bacon & Pepperoni, 10.5 oz.
*Totino's Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Combination Sausage & Pepperoni, 10.7 oz.
*Totino's Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Supreme Sausage & Pepperoni with Green Peppers & Onions, 10.9 oz.
*Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty Pizza, Pepperoni, 6.8 oz.
*Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty Pizza, Combination Sausage and Pepperoni, 7.0 oz.
*Jeno's Crisp 'n Tasty Pizza, Supreme Sausage and Pepperoni With Green Peppers and Onion, 7.2 oz.
Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician. Anyone diagnosed by a physician as having an illness related to E. coli O157:H7 is also urged to contact state and local public health authorities.
Consumers can contact Totino's / Jeno's for product replacement by clipping the UPC (bar code) symbol from each pizza box and sending their UPC's, along with their name and address to:
Totino's / Jeno's
P.O. Box 200 - Pizza
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0200
The product itself should be thrown away. Consumers with additional questions about the relall should contact the company at (800) 949-9055
About E. Coli
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
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