Kinder Chocolates Recalled in U.S. Over Salmonella Outbreak; European Factory Shuts Down

The recall of Kinder chocolate goods has now spread to the United States from Europe and Canada.

According to the federal food safety office, Ferrero's plant in Belgium, where a salmonella outbreak began, has been shut down, and its license to produce food items has been revoked.

NPR said experts discovered salmonella on the chocolate items on Dec. 15.

FERRERO KINDER REMOVAL FROM STORES

(Photo: LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Illustration picture shows the 'Kinder Surprise' chocolate egg, made by Ferrero, Sunday 03 April 2022 in Brussels.

Kinder Chocolates Recalled in United States Over Salmonella Cases

Ferrero U.S.A. has issued a recall for two Kinder products, although no cases of salmonella linked to the goods have been documented in the United States.

According to the business, the Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats basket are being voluntarily recalled in the United States because the product could be tainted.

"While there are no reports of illness in the United States to date, Ferrero is voluntarily recalling the products out of an abundance of caution due to reported cases of Salmonella in consumers that consumed products in Europe that were manufactured at the same facility," US FDA said in a statement.

Consumers should avoid eating the recalled items and contact the manufacturer for a refund through this link.

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According to the Evening Standard, the recall now covers the following items:

20g eggs or three-packs of the eggs with a best-before date of all dates up to and including Oct. 7, 2022;
100g Kinder Surprise packs with a best-before date between Apr. 20 2022 and Aug. 21 2022;
Kinder Mini eggs 75g packs with a best-before date between Apr. 20 and Aug. 21, 2022; and
Kinder Egg Hunt Kits 150g with best before dates from Apr. 21 to Aug. 21, 2022.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has recorded at least 134 cases, mostly among children under 10 years old. The first case was discovered in early January in the United Kingdom.

Although no deaths have been reported, most of the cases involved children aged 5 and younger.

Ferrero claims to have traced the source of the salmonella infection to a filter at the company's Arlon, Belgium, facility. Ferrero stated on Friday that the plant would be shut down.

Kinder Salmonella Cases in Europe

With 63 cases, Food Safety News said the United Kingdom is the most impacted country. Sample dates for unwell patients range from December 2021 to March 2022, with the majority of cases confirmed in February and March.

The majority of the cases are 18 years old or younger, with roughly 60% of them under 5 years old. There are more sick ladies than sick males. At least nine people have been admitted to hospitals, but no fatalities have been reported.

France has 20 confirmed cases, Ireland has ten, Germany and Sweden each have four, the Netherlands has two, and Luxembourg and Norway each have one. Belgium is looking into 26 such cases, while Germany is looking at three.

The National Reference Centre for Salmonella of the Institut Pasteur advised French health authorities of 21 instances of salmonellosis across the country. Eight of them were admitted to the hospital but have since been released. The average age of the patients is 4.

Santé Publique France's investigations revealed that 15 of the patients interviewed used Kinder brand goods. All of these items were made in the same plant in Arlon, Belgium.

The four patients in Sweden, all of whom are minors, all became unwell between January and March and live in various parts of the country. The Norwegian patient became ill at the end of February and tested positive for the identical monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium strain found in the UK.

Signs, Symptoms Of Salmonella Infection

US CDC says diarrhea, fever, and stomach pains are the most common symptoms of Salmonella infection.

Symptoms usually appear six to seven days after infection and continue four to seven days. On the other hand, some people do not suffer symptoms for several weeks following infection, while others do.

Salmonella strains can cause serious illness when they infect the urine, blood, bones, joints, or neurological system (spinal fluid and brain).

One is diagognosed with salmonella infection when Salmonella germs are found in a person's stool (poop), body tissue, or bodily fluids.

Without antibiotics, most people recover from Salmonella infection in four to seven days. If you have a Salmonella infection, you should drink plenty of fluids for as long as your diarrhea lasts.