The U.S. recall is for Kinder Happy Moments Milk Chocolate and Crispy Wafers Assortment and for Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Basket, which were manufactured at a facility where Salmonella typhimurium was detected, the company said in a statement distributed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “While there are no reports of illness in the United States to date, Ferrero is voluntarily recalling the products out of an abundance of caution due to reported cases of Salmonella in consumers that consumed products in Europe that were manufactured at the same facility,” the company said.
Recalls, Cases Throughout Europe
Recalls have already spread across Europe, where several cases of salmonella-related illness have been linked back to potential contamination issues with Ferrero chocolates. On April 2, Ferrero recalled select batches of its Kinder Surprise chocolates in the United Kingdom that were manufactured at a plant in Belgium where salmonella was detected. Four days later, the company expanded this recall to include additional products, including certain batches of Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Egg Hunt Kit, and Kinder Schokobons. As of April 6, an outbreak caused by Salmonella typhimurium had spread to seven countries in Europe in addition to the United Kingdom, according to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC). European regulators said that 134 cases of illness had been reported, mostly in young children, since the first case was identified in the United Kingdom in January. Chocolates have been recalled in several countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Britain. “The outbreak is characterized by an unusually high proportion of children being hospitalized, some with severe clinical symptoms, such as bloody diarrhea,” the ECDC said.
What Is Salmonella?
In the United States, salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, more than 26,000 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms — which often include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps — typically begin from six hours to six days after infection and last for up to one week, according to the CDC. Most people recover without treatment. Severe cases that require hospitalization are more common in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. For every case of salmonella that’s confirmed because somebody suspected the illness and got tested, there are usually at least another 30 people who get food poisoning and don’t go to a doctor or get tests, according to the CDC. U.S. consumers who have purchased recalled Kinder products shouldn’t eat them, and can contact Ferrero customer service at 800-688-3552 to request a refund.
