Nestlé France will compensate dozens of victims of the Buitoni pizza scandal contaminated by E. coli bacteria, which caused the death of two children and the poisoning of dozens of others, within the framework of an amicable agreement that closes the civil part of the matter .
“In order to contribute, within a reasonable time, to the appeasement of the victims and their families, Nestlé France decided to start a compensation process,” the company said on Monday, April 17. An agreement was signed on March 31, the amount of which has not been disclosed.
“Each of those affected will receive a compensation proposal from Nestlé France, which will follow a medical evaluation and which will take into account, in an equitable manner, the seriousness of the damage and of each situation,” the Swiss subsidiary stressed.
Two children had died and dozens more had become seriously ill after eating Buitoni’s Fraîch’Up pizzas in 2022, from its factory in Caudry (North-Pas-de-Calais).
This process should “allow a long-term fair reparation adequate to the damage suffered,” said lawyer Pierre Debuisson, who represents 63 victims.
Debuisson claimed compensation of 250 million euros from Nestlé for “serious misconduct” before the Nanterre court but the friendly agreement has prevented the hearing set for May 9.
The friendly agreement allows Nestlé to “put an end to the civil dispute without stopping the criminal action”, which “follows its course”, indicated the multinational that assures that it “will fully assume its responsibilities” after the investigation opened last May for involuntary manslaughter (they died two children) and involuntary injuries against 14 others, according to a judicial source.
At the end of March 2023, the multinational announced the definitive closure of its Caudry factory due to the 20% drop in the frozen pizza market, more pronounced in the Buitoni brand, said a Nestlé France spokesperson, one year after the contamination of pizzas contaminated with E.coli.
Public Health France (SPF) and the Fraud Suppression Directorate were alerted in February 2022 by a resurgence of cases of kidney failure in children, linked to contamination by E. coli bacteria.
The health authorities claimed on March 18, 2022 a “possible link” with the consumption of pizzas by children, Nestlé had withdrawn its Fraîch’Up products and closed the two production lines of the factory.
In a report from May 2022, Public Health France had registered 56 confirmed cases related to E. coli contamination, 55 of them in children, with an average age of six years.
Most had hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which usually results in acute kidney failure and severe blood problems, with possible consequences of coma or death.
“The presence of rodents” and the “lack of maintenance and cleanliness of manufacturing areas” resulted from the health investigation, according to the prefecture, while Nestlé pointed to “flour contamination” as the “most likely” explanation for the presence of the bacteria
In July, Nestlé France apologized to the families of the affected children and announced the creation of a “victim support fund”. “We are doing everything possible so that this event is never repeated and we assume our responsibilities,” its president, Muriel Lienau, reiterated on Monday, April 17.
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