The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) advises not to eat all Kinder chocolate from a Ferrero factory in Belgium. The candy can cause a salmonella contamination. Previously, the NVWA advised to leave only certain products out of the factory.
Today, all Kinder products from Ferrero’s Belgian factory are removed from supermarket shelves. On Wednesday, the producer of Kinder chocolate already recalled a number of products from the stores, including Kinder Surprises and Schokobons.
The Belgian Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has closed the factory. The company was unable to provide complete information for the investigation, the food watchdog reported. Production will not resume until the company can ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
Research by the NVWA has shown that products from the factory where salmonella has been detected are also sent to the Netherlands supplied to be.
Salmonella found on filter
Yesterday Ferrero announced that in december salmonella was found at the Arlon plant. The bacterium was on a filter of tanks containing raw materials for the chocolate products. After that discovery, the company decided not to supply the materials and chocolate products that were in the factory at the time. The filter containing the contamination was also removed and control of the end products has been “increased”, Ferrero said in a press release.
Ferrero states that there has been a delay in sharing and requesting information for the investigation. “This affected the speed and effectiveness of the investigation. The factory will not reopen until it has been certified by the authorities.”
In the Netherlands, two children have been infected with salmonella so far, possibly by eating Ferrero products. The company said this week it had not received any reports from the Netherlands of people who have become ill after eating chocolate.
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