The Kinder chocolate factory in Belgium was shut down on Friday. The decision comes from the country’s food safety agency (AFSCA) “after investigations (…) and following the findings of recent hours that the information provided by Ferrero is incomplete”. “The factory will only reopen once the authorities have certified it,” she said.
At the same time, it ordered the recall of all products in the Kinder range from the site of the confectionery giant Ferrero, the source of cases of salmonellosis in France and the United Kingdom. Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise Maxi 100g and Kinder Schoko-Bons made in Arlon are therefore concerned.
“Internal Failures”
For its part, “Ferrero recognizes that there have been internal failures, causing delays in the recovery and sharing of information within the time limits. This impacted the speed and efficiency of the investigations,” the group wrote in a press release.
Ferrero says its investigation has shown “a genotypic match” between reported salmonella cases and its Arlon plant. The Italian group also acknowledged having detected salmonella contamination of its products in this factory in Belgium on December 15. At the time, the company identified a filter at the outlet of the two raw material tanks as the source of the contamination and removed it. All “finished and semi-finished” products produced at this plant in the five days prior to December 15 had been blocked.
21 cases of salmonellosis in France, 63 in the United Kingdom
According to the latest report from Public Health France Tuesday, 21 cases of salmonellosis were identified by the National Reference Center for Salmonella at the Institut Pasteur in France. Out of 16 cases questioned, 8 people were hospitalized, all since discharged, and no death has been reported. On the same day, a spokesperson for the British authorities said that they had recorded 63 cases of salmonella contamination in the United Kingdom.
Salmonellosis is an important cause of death from food poisoning. Its symptoms appear on average after one to three days of incubation. They are most often those of sometimes acute gastroenteritis: diarrhea and abdominal cramps, slight fever, even vomiting.
In France, the group has set up a toll-free number (08 00 65 36 53) “for any information concerning the ongoing recall of Kinder products”, as well as an email address ([email protected]). The manufacturer specifies receiving “nearly 20,000 calls per hour” at Ferrero in France.