Families fight for answers in E coli case

Nestlé faces 250m civil suit after two children died and dozens affected by infection linked to factory-made pizza

- Angelique Chrisafis

When eight-year-old Nathan Aïech sat down for a Friday night pizza with his father and step family at their home outside Paris, it was their traditional "fun" weekend meal. The family had bought Buitoni frozen pizza, its colourful packaging boasting of two centuries of Italian cuisine. It seemed better than cheaper options. "A child is always happy when it's pizza for dinner," said Yohan Aïech, Nathan's father.

Nathan was a sporty child, in full health, who wanted to be a high-speed train driver. Two days after the meal he complained of a stomach ache.

Within a week, he was fighting for his life in intensive care, with doctors saying his brain, heart and kidneys were compromised. After dialysis, surgery and two heart attacks, Nathan died on 18 February. French health authorities later confirmed that the E coli bacteria infection and complications that killed him could be linked to the Buitoni pizza Fraîch'Up range.

Nathan was the first child to die in what is being called Europe's biggest food scandal in 30 years. The E coli outbreak that killed two children and left more than a dozen with serious, long-lasting health complications has sparked fear in France's food industry and panicked consumers.