2008 Woodie Awards
Millions of pizzas recalled due to E. coli scare
Andrew Cross
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News
E. coli has triggered the recall of about five million frozen pizzas nationwide.
Contaminated meat was thought to be the culprit after nine people who reported eating pizza with pepperoni topping fell ill soon after.
A General Mills plant in Ohio produced the pizzas which were sold under the labels of Totino's or Jeno's at establishments nationwide.
More than 20 related E. coli illnesses are currently under investigation by state and federal authorities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that eight victims have been hospitalized so far.
At least four people have developed kidney failure as a result of the E. coli bacteria.
Symptoms from E. coli usually manifest themselves within three to four days.
"Symptoms include severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps," Bree Davis, communications specialist for the McLean County Health Department, said.
"Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in five to 10 days," Davis continued.
Davis said that the illness is usually associated with eating undercooked or contaminated beef.
While the majority of the cases were reported in Tennessee, other instances were found in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, South Dakota and New York.
The first E. coli illness linked to the pizzas emerged in July.
The recall was precautionary and voluntary on the part of the Fortune 500 food company.
General Mills said it is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation, but will not release the name of the pepperoni supplier.
Pepperoni used on the pizzas came from an outside source and was not produced at the General Mills plant.
The company maintained that they have found no E. coli bacteria at the plant or in their products.
"We took action...as a precaution, because of the possibility that a link might exist," Tom Forsythe, General Mills spokesman, said.
More than 120 million Totino's and Jeno's pizzas have been sold worldwide since July 1.
Because of an increased number of food recalls in 2007, The United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Service is expanding tests to recall infected meat quickly.
Topps Meat, the largest frozen hamburger manufacturer in the country, went out of business in October after more than 20 million pounds of beef were recalled due to E. coli.
General Mills is encouraging consumers to throw away recalled pizzas. They can get replacements by sending the bar code from the box and mailing it in with their name and address to the Totino's/Jeno's company. General Mills, the parent company of Totino's and Jeno's, is based in suburban Minneapolis.
Contaminated meat was thought to be the culprit after nine people who reported eating pizza with pepperoni topping fell ill soon after.
A General Mills plant in Ohio produced the pizzas which were sold under the labels of Totino's or Jeno's at establishments nationwide.
More than 20 related E. coli illnesses are currently under investigation by state and federal authorities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that eight victims have been hospitalized so far.
At least four people have developed kidney failure as a result of the E. coli bacteria.
Symptoms from E. coli usually manifest themselves within three to four days.
"Symptoms include severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps," Bree Davis, communications specialist for the McLean County Health Department, said.
"Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in five to 10 days," Davis continued.
Davis said that the illness is usually associated with eating undercooked or contaminated beef.
While the majority of the cases were reported in Tennessee, other instances were found in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, South Dakota and New York.
The first E. coli illness linked to the pizzas emerged in July.
The recall was precautionary and voluntary on the part of the Fortune 500 food company.
General Mills said it is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation, but will not release the name of the pepperoni supplier.
Pepperoni used on the pizzas came from an outside source and was not produced at the General Mills plant.
The company maintained that they have found no E. coli bacteria at the plant or in their products.
"We took action...as a precaution, because of the possibility that a link might exist," Tom Forsythe, General Mills spokesman, said.
More than 120 million Totino's and Jeno's pizzas have been sold worldwide since July 1.
Because of an increased number of food recalls in 2007, The United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Service is expanding tests to recall infected meat quickly.
Topps Meat, the largest frozen hamburger manufacturer in the country, went out of business in October after more than 20 million pounds of beef were recalled due to E. coli.
General Mills is encouraging consumers to throw away recalled pizzas. They can get replacements by sending the bar code from the box and mailing it in with their name and address to the Totino's/Jeno's company. General Mills, the parent company of Totino's and Jeno's, is based in suburban Minneapolis.
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