Top 5 things you need to know about the champion foods pizza recall
- Huge Scope of Contamination: The recall impacts thousands of frozen pizzas distributed across 12 states, with the major concern being potential *Listeria monocytogenes* contamination, a bacteria that can cause severe, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.
- Not Just One Brand: Champion Foods produces private-label frozen pizzas for several major retailers and grocery chains. If you recently bought a store-brand pepperoni or cheese pizza, check the back of the box for the "Champion Foods" manufacturing code to see if your meal is on the recall list.
- Specific Product Dates to Ditch: The recall is limited to pizzas with specific "Enjoy By" or "Sell By" dates ranging between October 2024 and January 2025. Even if your pizza looks and smells fine, you cannot ignore these dates; discard the product or return it to the store for a full refund.
- Consumers Report Illnesses: Public health officials have linked at least a half-dozen reported cases of listeriosis to these Champion Foods pizzas. Symptoms to watch for include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea; anyone pregnant or immunocompromised who consumed a recalled pizza should seek medical advice immediately.
- $5 Million Manufacturing Error: The root cause of the contamination has been traced back to a faulty sanitation step at Champion Foods’ largest production facility in Ohio. The company has halted production lines for a full facility deep clean and is now facing a class-action lawsuit from affected customers.