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Fear of E. Coli contamination had prompted General Mills to declare a voluntary recall of its pizza products. Yesterday, the company recalled five million frozen pizzas.

The pizzas that had pepperoni espcially, the Totino’s and Jeno’s label mainly caused the E.Coli spread. These pizzas were produced in the company’s Ohio plant. However, the pepperoni came from another supplier. The name of the supplier was not mentioned because it has not been assured that the supplier’s products were the main source of E. Coli.

There are 414,000 pizza products in retail stores at present. The first E.Coli illness started in July. At that time state health authorities found 21 affected people. Nine of them took Totino’s and Geno’s pizza. CNN reports:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that eight of the victims have been hospitalized, and four have developed a type of kidney failure.

Eight of the cases were reported in Tennessee, with the other cases found in smaller numbers in Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin and South Dakota.

General Mills spokesperson Tom Forsythe said that they have taken necessary actions to control the situation but they could not find any E. Coli in their plant or products. He added that his company is cooperating with the investigation.

The company has requested its customers to throw away the recalled pizzas. They should collect the bar codes attached with the box and mail it with their names and addresses to the following address for replacements: Totino's/Jeno's, P.O. Box 200 -- Pizza, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0200.

Company history and products:
General Mills first started its journey in 1896. Cadwallader Washburn set his first flour mill. Set on the banks of the Mississipi River in Minneapolis it was one of the largest flour mills in the world. Now, it is a billion dollar multi-national company selling its products in more than hundred countries in six continents. At present, the company employs 28,000 employees and generates 13.4 billion dollar annual revenue.

The company sales a wide range of products from processed foods to vegetables.

Its major brands includes: Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Cheerios, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Wheaties, Betty Crocker, Wanchai Ferry, Muir Glen organic tomatoes and sauces, Cascadian Farm organic fruits and vegetables and many other products.

Totino’s and Jeno’s pizza:
According to the official website, the company sells more than 240 million units of Totino’s Party Pizza and Jeno’s Crisp ‘n Tasty Pizza every year which makes them one of the top selling frozen food brands in USA. 

A great work place for working mothers:

A reputed magazine titled “Working Mother” ranked General Mills on its list of 100 best companies for working mothers in 2007. This is the 12^th time the company has made it to the top 100 list.  

E Coli:
Escherichia coli, also known as gut flora is a kind of bacteria largely found in intestine. It mainly helps in waste processing inside human body. It was discovered in 1885 by a German pediatrician and bacteriologist, Theodore Escherich. E Coli can be found in large number in human faeces. This bacteria can cause diseases like urinary tract infections, meningitis, peritonitis, mastitis, septicemia and Gram-negative pneumonia.

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