The boss of Nestlé France comes out of silence. Four months after the crisis of pizzas contaminated with E. Coli bacteria in products from the Fraich’Up range, suspected of being the cause of the death of 2 children, Christophe Cornu makes an act of contrition and deplores “a human tragedy” : “I want to express my deepest sympathy“he assures our colleagues from Figaro.
A family support fund in place on September 1
Last March, Santé Publique France had established a link between the consumption of its Buitoni frozen pizzas, owned by Nestlé, and a resurgence of syndromes linked to the bacterium Escherichia coli. Pending the results of the investigations into the origin of the contamination, Nestlé says it is committed to supporting the families concerned by creating a support fund that will not replace the compensation that the courts could decide.
Christophe Cornu does not specify the amountbut assures that it will be set up on September 1. It will be administered by an association chosen by Nestlé. Four months ago, the group had to close two production lines at the Buitoni factory in Caudry, in the North. The boss of Nestlé assures him, there will be no factory restart until all the light has been shed on the origin of the bacteria.
A late reaction for the lawyer for the families of victims
“We are very surprised by this sudden volte-face“, reacts the lawyer for the victims, Maître Richard Legrand. A reaction deemed particularly late, several months after the start of the case. The lawyer wonders about the motivations for this public speech: “Did they discover things we don’t know about?“
On the legal side, a judicial investigation has been opened in particular for involuntary homicide against a person, involuntary injuries concerning 14 people, marketing of a product dangerous to health and endangering others.