Kinder chocolate recall: Potential salmonella contamination raises concerns

The United States joined a list of countries to have recalled some of Kinder chocolates from shops following concerns of salmonella contamination.

Italian chocolate and confectionery products company Ferrero announced that Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats basket are being voluntarily recalled.

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The move comes as its Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs were recalled from UK stores earlier this week.

Belgian authorities on Friday ordered the closure of a Kinder chocolate factory suspected to be behind the wave of salmonella cases in several European countries and the United States.

AFSCA, Belgium’s food safety authority, said in a statement the plant was ordered to close down “following the findings of the last few hours that information provided by Ferrero is incomplete.”

Last week, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said that several young children have shown symptoms consistent with salmonella after ingesting the Kinder surprise snacks.

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Dr. Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, urged parents to discard any of the products.

“We know that these particular Kinder Surprise products are popular with young children,” Byrne said. “Given that we are approaching Easter, we would urge parents and guardians to check at home if they have any of the products and if they do, to ensure that any are not eaten.” 

Meanwhile, several batches from multiple more Kinder items were urgently recalled on Saturday from major retailers across Australia. It has been informed that other than the ones mentioned in the list, other Ferrero products – including other Kinder products – are not affected by this recall.

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What is Salmonella:

Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning caused by the Salmonella enterica bacterium. Salmonella serotype typhimurium and Salmonella serotype enteritidis are the most common types in the U.S. 

Salmonellosis is more common in the summer than in the winter and its symptoms can begin 12 to 72 hours after a person is infected. 

In rare cases, complications from salmonella can become deadly. Some of the symptoms include, cramps in your stomach, bloody stools, diarrhea, cold and chills, fever, headache, vomiting and nausea.