Totino's, Jeno's pizza recalled due to E. coli

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of Totino's and Jeno's frozen pizzas with pepperoni toppings are being recalled because the pepperoni may be contaminated with E. coli, General Mills Inc said on Thursday.

General Mills, which owns the Totino's and Jeno's brands, said the recall affects approximately 414,000 cases of pizza products currently in stores and all similar pizza products that might be in consumers' freezers.

The possible E. coli contamination was uncovered by state and federal authorities investigating 21 E. coli-related illnesses in 10 states.

General Mills said nine of the 21 people reported having eaten Totino's or Jeno's pizza with pepperoni topping at some point before becoming ill.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable to food-borne disease.

General Mills said the earliest case reported to authorities occurred on July 20, and the latest case reported occurred on October 10.

The recall includes eight types of Totino's brand frozen pizza and three types of Jeno's brand frozen pizza with pepperoni topping, or pepperoni in combination with other toppings.

The frozen pizzas were produced in its Wellston, Ohio, plant and distributed throughout the United States.