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A French television channel has been slammed after releasing a spoof advertisement of Italian "corona" pizza mocking the outbreak in the country that has killed more than 100 people.

As coronavirus continues to spread around the world, Italy is the worst-hit country in Europe with 107 deaths and 3,089 confirmed cases.

But a short 10-second clip, aired on a satirical programme on Canal+ channel, has seemed to make light of the disaster.

It shows a chef pulling a freshly-baked pizza out of the oven before spitting thick gooey phlegm on top of the meal.

"Here’s the new Italian pizza, which is going to spread around the world," a narrator said.

The mock advert boldly names it "Corona Pizze - Covid 19" in the colours of Italian national flag.

(Image: Canal+)

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has since slammed the advert as "bad taste and unacceptable".

He added: "Making fun of the Italians like that, with the coronavirus emergency we are facing, is profoundly disrespectful."

Canal+ has since issued a statement admitting that the joke was "in very bad taste".

They said it had removed the clip from its reruns and replay channel, and was "sending a letter of apology to the Italian ambassador to Paris this [Tuesday] afternoon".

Most of the patients are tested positive in the northern region of Lombardy and Bologna but others have been confirmed in 19 of Italy's 20 regions.

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has called on all Italians to "do their parts".

He said: "We are in the same boat, whoever has the helm has the duty to indicate the route, we must make an extra effort, we must do it together."