LAST UPDATE | 8 Apr 2022
THE RECALL OF certain batches of six Kinder products has now been extended to all batches and best before dates of those products due to a salmonella outbreak affecting Europe and the US.
The HSE has urged parents and carers of young children to make sure they don’t have any of these Kinder products at home.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said that Italian confectionery giant Ferrero is extending its recall to all best before dates and all pack sizes of Kinder Schokobons, due to the possible presence of salmonella.
Belgium ordered the closure of the Kinder chocolate factory suspected to be behind a wave of salmonella cases in several European countries and the US.
Belgium’s food safety authority, AFSCA, said in a statement the plant was ordered shut “following the findings of the last few hours that information provided by Ferrero is incomplete”.
To date, there have been 15 cases in Ireland with the same strain of salmonella responsible for the UK outbreak, with most of these Irish cases involving young children.
The most recent Irish cases became unwell in mid-March, the HSE said.
The recall has now been extended to the following products with all best before dates:
The FSAI is warning consumers who may have the recalled products at home not to eat them.
The first FSAI recall of Kinder products was limited to the 20g eggs, and was announced on Sunday. A further recall of certain batches of six Kinder products was then announced during the week.
The HSE, HPSC and FSAI have been working closely with UK authorities to investigate an outbreak of ‘salmonella typhimurium’.
Dr Paul McKeown, Specialist in Public Health Medicine at the HSE-HPSC, said: “Although there has been a speedy recall of these products, we may see a number of further cases of illness associated with this outbreak.
However, the likelihood of any individual child becoming sick as a result of eating this product is extremely low. Only a very small percentage of children who have eaten this product over the last few weeks has developed salmonella infection.
“The symptoms of salmonella infection in children (nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea) are mild in the majority of cases, and can be managed at home.”
He continued: “If your child develops more worrying symptoms such as a lot of diarrhoea, diarrhoea with blood in it, a lot of vomiting, a high temperature or a nasty headache, you should seek medical advice from your GP.
“It is important to remember that the majority of children who develop vomiting and diarrhoea are unlikely to have salmonella infection, and are more likely to have a simple viral tummy upset, which can be treated simply with paracetamol and fluids by mouth.”
If you have bought any of these products, do not eat them, and do not give them as Easter presents. Instead, please contact the Ferrero consumer careline on +44 (0)330 053 8943 or email consumers.ireland@ferrero.com.
The maker of Kinder chocolate has apologised, acknowledging internal failures after Belgian authorities ordered the closure of a factory behind the wave of salmonella cases.
Italy’s Ferrero “acknowledges there were internal failures” and said it “profoundly regrets” and “sincerely apologises” for the spate of cases of salmonella and a massive recall just ahead of the Easter holiday.
The FSAI has a Q&A about the recall here.
With reporting from AFP.
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