American pizza maker, General Mills revealed that it has recalled more than 5 million frozen pizzas across the country following reports of a possible E.Coli contamination of the pepperoni toppings.
The company revealed that over 414,000 cases of pizza products currently in the market might be contaminated with E.Coli along with thousands of similar products which have been already purchased. Of the affected products, eight stock keeping units (SKUs) belong to the Totino's brand while three SKUs belong to the Jeno's brand of frozen pizza.
The contamination seems to have occurred in 10 states across the nation after 21 cases of E.Coli-related illnesses were registered by the state and federal health authorities. The first case was reported as early as on July 20 while the latest case reported was on October 10.
The investigation report revealed that at least nine of the 21 patients had eaten either Totino's or Jeno's pizza topped with pepperoni, leading to a voluntary investigation carried out by both the brands working closely with federal and state food safety authorities.
E.coli O157:H7 is a lethal bacterium that can cause dehydration and diarrhea leading to death. The very young and the very old as well as those with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.
General Mills has decided to invoke a voluntary Class I recall in order to limit the damage even though the investigation is still in process.
"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," General Mills said in a released statement.
Affected consumers may contact the company at (800) 949-9055.
