Ferrero’s recall campaign: What consumers should pay attention to

Shortly before Easter, the confectionery manufacturer Ferrero had to recall numerous products worldwide due to an outbreak of salmonella. What does that mean? An overview.

Shortly before Easter, Ferrero also recalled numerous products in New Zealand due to the possible risk of salmonella. Hundreds of salmonella cases had previously also occurred in Europe and Australia. They are linked to a factory in Belgium.

What is salmonella?

Salmonella are bacteria that occur worldwide and cause illness. The pathogens multiply in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. Salmonella most commonly enters the human digestive tract through food. For example, they can be found in products with raw eggs, such as mayonnaise or raw cake batter, but also in raw meat. Salmonella is contagious and can also be transmitted from person to person through smear infections.

Those affected suffer from sudden diarrhoea, headaches and abdominal pain, general malaise and occasionally vomiting. Salmonella infection is often accompanied by a slight fever. The symptoms often last for several days and then subside on their own. Salmonella infections can be particularly dangerous for babies, small children, the elderly and people with a weakened immune system, since diarrhea is associated with the loss of fluids and salts.

How does salmonella get into chocolate?

The salmonella probably got into the chocolate via contaminated raw material tanks in a Belgian factory. As early as December 15, 2021, Ferrero found the Salmonella contamination in the Arlon plant. The products manufactured there were subsequently held back, the filter was replaced and controls of the unfinished and finished products were increased, Ferrero said himself.

It is not known how the current salmonella contamination came about. However, investigations suggest a connection between the cases in December and the current ones: “Further investigations have shown that the salmonella detected there have a genetic match with salmonella from numerous cases of disease in several European countries, including Germany,” said the confectionery manufacturer in a press release.

Which products are affected and how do you recognize them?

As a result of the salmonella contamination in Germany, the confectionery group recalled numerous products that were all manufactured in the Belgian plant in Arlon. Customers can tell whether products are affected by the recall from the European article number EAN: An EAN code is printed on products such as food and consists of a sequence of numbers and a bar code. Since each combination of numbers is unique, a product can be uniquely identified.

At the same time, the best-before date of the products also plays a role. Ferrero recalls the products with the corresponding EAN with all best before dates. All other Ferrero products, including other children’s products, are not affected by the recall, according to the company.

How should customers behave?

Customers of the confectionery manufacturer should check that the products they purchase have an EAN that matches one of the list attached below. If this is the case, the food should not be distorted. According to Ferrero, customers can also return the affected product to the supermarket without a receipt.

What are the consequences for Ferrero?

The group is anticipating a worse financial spring than usual following the salmonella outbreak, as all “kids” chocolate products made in Arlon have been withdrawn. “Of course we expect losses in our Easter business,” said Ferrero Germany when asked by the dpa news agency: “However, the complete processing of the facts has the highest priority for us at the moment.”

The Belgian public prosecutor’s office is now also investigating. “We found out a few hours ago that the public prosecutor’s office in the Belgian province of Luxembourg had been called in,” the group’s statement continued: “We have not yet been contacted by them. We remain at their disposal and will fully communicate with the authorities work together.”

The Belgian supervisory authority Afsca also temporarily revoked Ferrero’s production license for the Arlon plant last week until all food safety rules and requirements are met.