A small epidemic on a European scale.

If France is affected by a wave of recalls of contaminated food products, the one concerning Kinder chocolates also applies outside our borders.

Cases of salmonellosis, linked to a "Belgian production plant", have been identified in nine European countries: France therefore, but also Germany, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden.

“As of April 8, 2022, 150 confirmed and probable cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported,” note the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in a press release.

The two agencies have “identified chocolate-based products manufactured by a company in its Belgian production plant as being at the origin of the outbreak of Salmonella”, they continue, without mentioning the name of Ferrero, Italian giant of the confectionery.

Ferrero recognizes "internal failures"

Belgian justice opened an investigation on Monday to establish possible responsibilities within the Arlon factory, which has been closed for several days.

On Friday, the Belgian food safety agency (Afsca) withdrew its production authorization, accusing it of its lack of transparency on an incident that occurred in mid-December.

At that time, "S. Typhimurium had been detected in a buttermilk tank at the Belgian establishment of the company in question during its own checks", confirm EFSA and ECDC.

Despite tighter controls and hygiene measures, contaminated chocolate products were distributed in Europe and the United States, leading Ferrero to recognize "internal failures" on Friday.

Once the link was established between Kinder products and the cases of salmonellosis at the end of March, following an alert from the British authorities, recalls were launched in several European countries and in the United States.

All products from the Arlon plant are now affected, regardless of batch number or expiration date, Ferrero said.

Compensation in vouchers

In a press release published Tuesday evening, a few days before Easter, Ferrero France specified that the list of these products was available on the site https://www.ferrero.fr/actualites/.

The company invites customers to contact it on 0800 65 36 53, by email at contact.fr@ferrero.com or on social networks, specifying that its consumer service will remain open during the Easter weekend.

"The responsibility to compensate its consumers is one of the priorities," says Ferrero, which offers vouchers.

Salmonellosis, caused by a bacterium called salmonella, causes symptoms similar to those of sometimes acute gastroenteritis: diarrhea and abdominal cramps, slight fever, even vomiting.

No deaths have been reported at this stage.

The 150 cases linked to Kinder were identified “mainly in children under ten years old”.

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Salmonellosis: Belgian justice launches an investigation after the recall of Kinder chocolates

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Recall of Kinder chocolates: The Ferrero factory stopped by the Belgian authorities after cases of salmonellosis

  • Health

  • Kinder

  • Salmonellosis

  • epidemic

  • Belgium

  • Europe

  • Food