Canada - Pizza Product Recalled After Linked to E. coli O26 Outbreak

In Canada,  Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops are being recalled after being linked to an E. coli O26 outbreak.  As of January 26th, there have been 29 cases of illness.  Of the cases reported, seven people have been hospitalized and there have been no deaths. People who became sick are between 1 and 87 years of age. Just over half of the people who became ill are female (57%).

Interesting is that the product is not a ready-to-eat product in that the package says product must be thoroughly cooked.  But like chicken croquet product that are also not-ready-to-eat and have caused a large number of illnesses cases in Canada, these products have that look of a product that is fully cooked (or so it seems from the picture on the package).

https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-pillsbury-brand-pizza-pops-recalled-due-e-coli-o26
Certain Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops recalled due to E. coli O26
Brand(s)
Last updated  2026-01-25
Summary
Product  Pizza Pops
Issue  Food - Microbial contamination - E. Coli - other pathogenic
What to do  Do not consume, use, sell, serve or distribute recalled products
Distribution  National
Affected products - See list
https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-pillsbury-brand-pizza-pops-recalled-due-e-coli-o26

Issue
The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O26 contamination.

This recall was triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is investigating an outbreak of human illness. Please refer to the Public Health Notice for further details on this active outbreak investigation.

Public Health Notice - Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/public-health-notices/2025/outbreak-e-coli-infections-pillsbury-pizza-pops.html
Public health notice: Outbreak of E. coli infections linked to Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops
January 26, 2026: Update

This outbreak investigation is ongoing. The public health notice will be updated as the investigation evolves.

At a glance
Do not consume, use, sell, serve or distribute recalled Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops.

Outbreak details
Illnesses 29
Provinces and territories with illnesses (number of illnesses)

British Columbia (4)
Alberta (12)
Saskatchewan (6)
Manitoba (2)
Ontario (2)
New Brunswick (2)
Newfoundland and Labrador (1)

Hospitalizations 7
Deaths 0

Gender 57% female
Age range 1 to 87
Food Recall  Yes

Certain Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops Pepperoni + Bacon recalled due to E. coli O26
Certain Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops recalled due to E. coli O26
Investigation status Active
Investigation summary
There are 29 laboratory-confirmed cases of E. coli O26:H11 illnesses linked to this outbreak in:
British Columbia (4)
Alberta (12)
Saskatchewan (6)
Manitoba (2)
Ontario (2)
New Brunswick (2)
Newfoundland and Labrador (1)

People became sick between early October 2025 and early January 2026. Of the cases reported, seven people have been hospitalized and there have been no deaths. People who became sick are between 1 and 87 years of age. Just over half of the people who became ill are female (57%).

Many people who became sick reported eating or handling Pillsbury brand Pizza Pops. The investigation is ongoing and it is possible that additional sources may be identified.

More recent illnesses may continue to be reported because there is a period between when a person becomes sick and when the illness is reported to public health officials. It can take more than a month from the time someone gets sick, sees a doctor, gets tested, and has their results confirmed. For this outbreak, the illness reporting period is between 15 and 53 days after illness onset.

This notice only includes laboratory-confirmed cases. The actual number of sick people in Canada is likely much higher. Many people have mild symptoms and don't go to the doctor, so they aren't tested. Researchers estimate that for each case of E. coli non-O157 reported to public health, there are 32 more cases that are not reported.