5 people hospitalized in E. coli outbreak linked to Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops

A package of Pepperoni and Bacon Pillsbury Pizza Pops are shown in this undated handout photo from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (Mandatory Credit)

The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting a fifth hospitalization in an E. coli outbreak linked to recalled Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops.

The federal agency says 23 people got sick with the bacterial illness in seven provinces after eating or handling certain flavours of the frozen snack between early October and late November.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled several pepperoni and bacon Pizza Pops on Sunday due to an E. coli contamination that is under investigation.

The outbreak has now reached Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says for every case that is lab confirmed there are an estimated 32 more undetected in the community.

E. coli symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, headache, mild fever, severe stomach cramps, and watery or bloody diarrhea.

Most people will fully recover after a few days without treatment, but people who are pregnant, under the age of five, over the age of 60, or have weakened immune systems, are at a higher risk of severe illness.

The affected products are Pizza Pops Pepperoni + Bacon, Pizza Pops Supremo Extreme Pepperoni + Bacon and Pizza Pops FRANK’s RedHot Pepperoni + Bacon, all with best before dates in June 2026.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press