Ferrero's Chocolate Recall Just Got Bigger
It's only been a few days since the multinational confectionary Ferrero cleared its Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs from UK shelves after salmonella was detected in one of its European facilities, reports CNN. The recall prompted an investigation from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which is currently responding to "dozens of reported and suspected" salmonella cases in "at least nine" European countries, including Britain, France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.
This is certainly untimely news for the candy purveyor, which knows better than anyone that Easter — the most popular day of the year to feast on chocolate eggs — is just a week away. The popular confection, which consists of a toy-filled plastic egg coated in crisp milk chocolate, will have to sit this one out.
To avoid a similar contamination controversy in the United States, Ferrero issued an April 7 press release announcing a voluntary recall of two other Kinder products across the pond.
Kinder Happy Moments and Mix Chocolate Treats have been recalled in the U.S.
The Ferrero press release states the U.S. recall of its Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and its Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats basket, claiming that both products may be contaminated with salmonella — a dangerous bacteria that can lead to unpleasant food poisoning symptoms in some and "serious and sometimes fatal" infections in children, the elderly, and the immune-compromised.
The company explains that the products were manufactured in a facility where salmonella was detected. While there have yet to be any reported cases of Kinder-linked salmonella infections in the U.S. so far, the press release states that Ferrero is voluntarily recalling the products "out of an abundance of caution" following the reported cases in Europe. However, Ferrero assures its U.S. customers that all Kinder products excluded from the recall are safe to consume. That includes Kinder Joy (a chocolate egg that's half wafer-topped cream and half surprise toy) and Kinder Bueno (a crispy wafer candy bar topped with hazelnut filling, coated in milk chocolate, and drizzled with dark chocolate).
The press release concludes that Ferrero "deeply regrets this situation" and will continue to work with the Food and Drug Administration to address the issue.