Ferrero USA, LLC voluntarily recalls a number of its chocolates from U.S. shelves because it has received notice of a potential link between them and Salmonella contamination.
The company said in a statement that it was recalling its Kinder Chocolate and Wafer Treats Assortments and its Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Basket, manufactured at one of its facilities, where the FDA found Salmonella typhimurium.
Kinder Chocolate Recalled Throughout Europe
The British company Ferrero has recalled batches of its Kinder Surprise chocolate products manufactured in the Belgian plant where Salmonella was detected. Four days later, the recall was expanded to include Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Egg Hunt Kits, and Kinder Schokobons.
A multi-country outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium had been reported by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The outbreak is believed to have begun in the United Kingdom in January and has since spread to seven additional European countries.
Many cases have occurred in young children. Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom have each reported illness. Several countries have recalled chocolate products suspected of being tainted.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella bacteria commonly infect raw poultry, meat, dairy products, and eggs. Symptoms of infection typically set in within six hours to six days of exposure and include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Although most people recover from the illness within a week without hospitalization or treatment, severe cases that require hospitalization are more common in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.