Two European health monitoring agencies have reported 150 cases of salmonella in 9 European countries recently, attributing these cases to a "Belgian production facility" belonging to Kinder (part of the Ferrero group), which was shut down a few days ago in the city of Arlon, southeast of Brussels. The European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control stated in a joint announcement: "As of April 8, 2022, 150 confirmed and suspected cases of salmonella have been recorded."
The agencies noted that "products prepared from chocolate made by a company within the Belgian production facility have been identified as the source of the salmonella outbreak," without naming the Italian giant. The statement indicated that the infections "occurred particularly among children under the age of ten" and were reported in nine European countries: Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
Salmonella bacteria can cause severe intestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal cramps, a slight fever, and vomiting. No deaths have been reported so far due to consumption of the contaminated Kinder chocolate. European experts emphasize the need for further investigations "to determine the exact source and timing of the infection" and to explore "the broader use of the contaminated raw materials in other factories."
On Monday, Belgian authorities opened an investigation to determine possible liabilities within the Arlon factory, which the Belgian Food Safety Agency revoked its license on Friday due to a lack of transparency in the case. Despite enhanced health surveillance and hygiene measures, salmonella-contaminated chocolate products have been distributed in Europe and the United States, leading "Ferrero" to acknowledge internal "gaps" on Friday.
Following the revelation of a link between "Kinder" products and salmonella infections at the end of March, initiated by actions from British authorities, quantities of these products were withdrawn in several European countries, the United States, and Arab countries. Ferrero indicated that the withdrawal measures include all products manufactured at the Arlon facility, regardless of batch numbers or expiration dates.
