Ferrero reveals salmonella discovered at Belgium plant in December as Kinder recall widened
Confectioner Ferrero has revealed salmonella was found at its Belgium plant at the end of last year, as more products have been recalled.
After an investigation by several European food safety and public health authorities, the Kinder-maker said it had acquired new data.
More than 130 children are thought to have suffered from salmonella in connection with Kinder Surprise eggs and other products, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Wednesday.
Salmonella was detected on 15 December at Ferrero’s plant in Arlon, Belgium, the company said on Thursday.
Following a “deep investigation”, the point of origin was found to be a filter at the outlet of two raw material tanks.
“Materials and finished products were blocked and not released,” a statement said.
It said a “precautionary” recall on products made in Belgium had been extended to other countries for certain batches of Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise Maxi 100g and Kinder Schokobons.
All other Kinder and Ferrero products are not impacted by this recall, the Italian chocolate-maker stated.
A statement from Ferrero added: “We deeply regret this matter and would like to thank authorities for the ongoing collaboration and recommendations. We take food safety extremely seriously and every step we have taken has been guided by our commitment to consumer care.”
Earlier this week, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) advised people not to eat 20g or three-pack eggs with best before dates between 11 July and 7 October 2022.
Salmonella contaminations are not uncommon in the food industry, a Ferrero spokesperson told CityA.M.. “Ferrero’s food safety system is extremely stringent,” they added.
The spokesperson said: “All finished and semi-finished products from five days before the detection onwards until the day of detection were blocked. We have robust testing and protocols in place in all our plants, which encompass raw materials, semi-finished and finished products.
“We based our actions on an evolving and dynamic scenario. We took all the necessary steps as we discovered and collected new information, in collaboration with authorities. We take food safety extremely seriously and every step has been guided by our commitment to consumer care.”