Italian chocolate maker Ferrero is voluntarily recalling two brands of Kinder chocolates after discovering that they were manufactured in a facility where salmonella was detected, although no U.S. cases have been found, the company said in a statement Thursday.
“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,” Ferrero North America said in a statement, referring to Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats.
Health officials in the European Union have been monitoring the recalls and the various cases.
There have been 105 confirmed and 29 more probable salmonella infections, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
“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, Reuters reported.
The U.K. had the most cases, with 63 as of Tuesday, the ECDC statement said, showing a comparison.
Countries affected include France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, according to the agency’s data.
Consumers should not eat the affected Kinder products with expiration dates between July 11 and Oct. 7, 2022, according to the Food Standards Agency in the U.K.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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