Buitoni (Italian pronunciation:[buiˈtoːni][1]) is an Italian food company based in Sansepolcro. It was founded in 1827. They are known for their factory-produced products of pasta and sauces.[2]
In 1985, the Buitoni family sold the company to Carlo De Benedetti; in 1988, it was acquired by Nestlé.[3][4] In 2017, Nestlé began a brand reorganization and licensed a variety of Buitoni frozen ready meals in Italy to Frosta AG of Bremerhaven, Germany.[5]
Buitoni produces a range of pasta and sauces.[6] The company exports products to about 50 countries and offers private-label production services. Casa Buitoni is located up in the hills of Tuscany along with the fields of tomatoes, wheat, vegetables, herbs, and olives. It was the house of Giulia's grandson, Giuseppe, and it now serves as a company product development center. Buitoni products are created and sampled in the casa, which includes a test kitchen, demonstration workshop and communications center.[7]
In March 2022, the Prefecture of France's North Department (59) banned production at one of Buitoni's sites in Caudry. Multiple cases of E. coli intoxication reported within children across France, resulting in serious illness and even death in two cases, were linked to the consumption of Buitoni's "Fraîch'Up" frozen pizzas.[9] Sanitary inspections held on 22 March and 29 March by local authorities revealed serious hygiene issues within the factory. Authorities stated the inspections "highlighted a degraded level of food hygiene control in the Caudry plant, which justified the issuance of an order to cease industrial production activities in the plant". Photographs obtained by RMC and testimonial from a former employee of the plant reveals the extent of the neglect of basic hygienic procedures at Caudry production site.
Paris public prosecutor's office opened an investigation into Buitoni on the charges of involuntary homicides, deception, and the endangerment of others.[10] As of May 2022, other brands of Buitoni frozen pizzas such as "Bella Napoli" and "Four à Pierre" were identified to be the cause of other E. coli intoxications in France and subsequently recalled from sale.[11]
As of March 30th, 2023, the factory that produced the tainted pizza, employing about 200 people, is to be definitively closed.
1 Currently manufactured by General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. 2 Brand owned by General Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. 3 U.S. production rights owned by The Hershey Company. 4 U.S. rights and production owned by the Smarties Candy Company with a different product. 5 U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by Associated British Foods. 6 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. 7 Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland. Produced by Post Foods elsewhere. 8 Philippine production rights owned by Alaska Milk Corporation. 9 Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned by Fraser and Neave. 10 Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. 11 Used only in the Philippines. 12 U.S. production rights owned by the Ferrara Candy Company. 13NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019. 14 Brand owned by Mars, sold by Nestlé in Canada. 15 Produced by Froneri in the U.S. since 2020.
