Foodwatch France has filed two complaints against Nestlé and Ferrero, within the framework contamination of Buitoni frozen pizzas with E.Coli bacteria and Kinder chocolates with salmonellosis.
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The Foodwatch France association announced Thursday, May 19 the filing of two complaints in Paris against the Nestlé and Ferrero groups, respectively in the context of contamination of Buitoni frozen pizzas with E.Coli bacteria and Kinder chocolates with salmonellosis. “It is enough that large groups, like Nestlé in the case of Buitoni pizzas or Ferrero for Kinder, believe themselves above the law. Enough the climate of impunity“, explained on franceinfo Karine Jacquemart, general manager of Foodwatch France.
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These two complaints were filed with the public health department of the Paris prosecutor’s office. Seven offenses are denounced therein, including the “marketing of products harmful to health, endangering the lives of others and aggravated deception“According to Foodtwatch, these two groups have not fulfilled their obligations.”Obligation to carry out analyses, obligation to ensure correct hygiene conditions in their factories, obligation to alert when they could have identified risks of contamination“, lists on franceinfo Karine Jacquemart, general manager of the association. 56 cases of E. Coli contamination have been established in France for Buitoni pizzas and 80 cases concerning Kinder. A health situation that she judges “unacceptable“.
“At the end of the day, it is the consumers who pay”
Karine Jacquemart, General Manager of Foodwatch Franceat franceinfo
Foodwatch also denounces the silence of the two groups. “Nestlé, when asked, does not give more explanations, when there had already been an alert on deplorable hygiene conditions from 2021“, explains Karine Jacquemart. As for Ferrero, for Kinder, ” elements indicate that the group knew that there had been contaminations and therefore risks in their factory in Arlon in Belgium“. Salmonella contamination detected as early as December 15, 2021, “but they continued to put products on the market after“, denounces the director of the association.
“Since we are not getting more transparency, it is good that things are happening in criminal proceedings. Let justice do its job, let responsibilities be clear and penalties be dissuasive so that these food scandals stop repeating themselves.“, she concludes.