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In the United Kingdom 63 cases of salmonellosis were registered and in France 21. Suspicions of this outbreak point to Kinder chocolate products manufactured in Belgium and that are being withdrawn from sale by the manufacturer Ferrero in Europe.
Ferrero, the Italian confectionery company, has pulled its Kinder Surprise chocolates from British shelves, as well as from other European countries. This after a possible link to dozens of reported cases of salmonella was discovered.
This recall includes Kinder Surprise eggs of a unit of 20 grams and also packages of three units. This is a highly marketed candy product for children that contains small buildable toys.
“We are voluntarily recalling selected batches of Kinder Surprise as a precautionary measure, as we have become aware of a possible link to several reported cases of salmonella,” the notice announcing the recall stated.
Ferrero also noted that the batch of chocolate in question had been manufactured at the Arlon facility in Belgium, and that the recall could be extended to other countries.
The main affected, children under 4 years
This development comes as chocolate brands compete for space on supermarket shelves, just two weeks before the Easter celebrations. Time that is characterized by the fact that many consume these chocolates that emulate the shape of an egg.
The Food Standards Agency of Great Britain (FSA for its acronym in English) recommended consumers not to eat these products if their expiration dates are between July 11 and October 7, 2022. A similar announcement was made by the authorities scottish
The FSA also indicated that until April 5, at least 63 cases of diseases linked to the consumption of this product have been identified, only in the United Kingdom, the majority of those affected are children under 4 years of age.
According to the US portal Food Safety News (FSN), there are more sick women than men and at least nine people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
It is estimated that approximately 100 people would be affected
The same medium indicates that around 100 people would be affected not only in the United Kingdom, but also in Ireland, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. France has already registered 21, while Italy is also checking if any of its cases are related to this outbreak.
FSA Director Tina Potter urged parents and guardians to check if any products they have already purchased belong to the recalled lot.
According to the aforementioned media, the European Commission, upon learning of this situation, had published a notification to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), but later withdrew it while the investigations are carried out.
They seek to stop the distribution of the affected lot
A spokesperson for the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) said: “We have been made aware of the salmonella outbreak in the UK on 27 March through internal WHO channels… the Secretariat INFOSAN is in the process of gathering more information on the extent of the international distribution (of the product) and the source of the outbreak.”
For its part, the Ferrero company issued a statement stating that they are “working with retailers to ensure that the products are no longer available for purchase.”
The symptoms manifested by salmonella are diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. Although most cases usually resolve favorably after a few days, severe symptoms can lead to hospitalization, especially in the youngest and in people with a weakened immune system.
With AFP, Reuters and specialized media
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