OHIO
FIRM RECALLS FROZEN MEAT PIZZAS DUE TO POSSIBLE E.
COLI O157:H7 CONTAMINATION
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 1, 2007 - General Mills Operations, a Wellston, Ohio, establishment,
is voluntarily recalling an undetermined amount of frozen meat pizza
products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and
may be linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced
today.
The following
products are subject to recall:
- 10.2-ounce
packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza
Pepperoni."
- 10.2-ounce
packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza,
Classic Pepperoni."
- 10.2-ounce
packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza,
Pepperoni Trio."
- 10.7-ounce
packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza,
Combination Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza."
- 10.5-ounce
packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza,
Three Meat Sausage, Canadian Style Bacon & Pepperoni Pizza."
- 10.9-ounce
packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza,
Supreme Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza with Green Peppers &
Onions."
- 6.8-ounce
packages of "JENO'S CRISP `N TASTY PIZZA, PEPPERONI."
- 7.0-ounce
packages of "JENO'S CRISP `N TASTY PIZZA, COMBINATION SAUSAGE
AND PEPPERONI PIZZA."
- 7.2-ounce
packages of "JENO'S CRISP `N TASTY PIZZA, SUPREME SAUSAGE
AND PEPPERONI WITH GREEN PEPPERS AND ONION PIZZA."
Each package
also bears the establishment number "EST. 7750" inside
the USDA mark of inspection as well as a "best if used by"
date on or before "02 APR 08 WS." The company applies
the "best if used by date" on the package based on a 155-day
shelf life, however consumers are urged to look in their freezers
for similar frozen pizza products and discard them if found.
The frozen
meat pizza products subject to recall were produced on or before
Oct. 30 and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.
The problem
was discovered following an investigation carried out by the Tennessee
Department of Health in coordination with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention into a multi-state cluster of E. coli O157:H7
illnesses that may be linked to this product. Illnesses occurred
in Illinois (1), Kentucky (3), Missouri (2), New York (2), Ohio
(1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (8), Virginia
(1), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates ranged between July
20 and Oct. 10. All patients have recovered. The CDC, State public
health departments and FSIS also continue investigation into the
multi-state illness outbreak.
Consumers with
questions about the recall should contact company Consumer Hotline
at (800) 949-9055.
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. Anyone
concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
Consumers with
food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual
representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is
available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m.
to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety
messages are available 24 hours a day.
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