KINDER. Kinder has clarified its giant recall of products after contamination with salmonella, but the European authorities as well as the NGO Foodwatch are questioning the strategy of the Ferrero group. List of products, reimbursement, origins of contamination… We take stock!
[Mis à jour le 13 avril 2022 à 22h51] Are we heading towards “a Kinder affair”? More than a week after the launch of a gigantic Kinder chocolate recall operation, the Ferrero group, which owns Kinder and Nutella among others, finds itself facing the fire of criticism after several doubts were brought to light about its management of crisis. The NGO Foodwatch (see the press release) notably accuses Ferrero of having delayed alerting the authorities and of maintaining vague communication on the products concerned, in particular on chocolates sold during the 2021 end-of-year celebrations, products recalled in Germany but curiously not in France. The Belgian health authorities, concerned since the salmonella contamination at the origin of several cases of salmonellosis in Europe comes from a factory located in Belgium, also cast doubt on Ferrero’s communication.
Little by little, Kinder has expanded the terms of the recall affecting its products. Faced with the scale of the crisis and the potential salmonella contamination on its chocolates, Kinder has opted for a massive recall of its products. Four types of chocolate are concerned: Kinder Surprise, Kinder Schoko-bons but also assortments that are usually found for Easter: Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Mix and Happy Moments, not to mention the larger Kinder Surprise eggs: those in 100 gram format.
Consumers who have purchased these products are advised not to consume them and to contact the brand for a refund. Several services have been set up to contact Ferrero, the group that owns Kinder among its brands:
- a toll-free number (free call): 0800 653 653
- an email: [email protected]
Be careful, the waiting time can be long, recognizes Ferrero in a press release. “Many of you contact us and we are aware of the waiting times on the helpline. We sincerely thank you for your patience and we want to ensure that each request will be answered”, specifies the group. A alert had also been launched by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday 5 April following a first communicated of the Ferrero group published on Monday.
Attention, the expiry date is no longer to be scrutinized since Kinder has extended the recall to all Kinder products from the following ranges: Kinder Surprise, Kinder Schoko-bons, Kinder Mini-Eggs, Kinder Mix, Kinder Happy Moments and Kinder Surprise 100 grams.
- Kinder Schoko-Vouchers : the recall is massive on these small chocolate eggs individually wrapped and sold in sachets since all formats are concerned: those with milk in sachets 125 grams, 150g, 200g, 225g, 300g, 330g, 350g, 480g and 500g but also those in white chocolate, called Schoko-bons White in 200g and 300g formats.
- Kinder Surprise : all boxes containing 20 gram Kinder Surprises (the classic format sold all year round) are concerned, whether Kinder Surprise eggs are sold by one, three, four or by box of six.
- Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 grams : these larger eggs, sold during the holidays, are also affected by this Kinder recall.
- Kinder Mini Eggs : all the batches of these mini eggs sold in particular at the time of the holidays or Easter are also concerned: whether they are in milk chocolate, hazelnut or filled with cocoa. The so-called Mini Eggs Mix assortments are also in this product recall.
- Kinder Happy Moments : are concerned the packaging 191 grams (boxes) but also 242 grams, 347 grams and 400 grams.
- KinderMix : are concerned the “plush” pack 133 grams and the “egg hunt basket” 150g, the bag 193 grams, the bucket 198 grams and the car 125 grams
Several hundred tons of chocolate are de facto concerned. All of the recalled products are made in Belgium, in the Arlon factory, where 46,000 tonnes of chocolate were produced in 2017 according to the brand. The Belgian subsidiary of Ferrero specifies on its website that this production site “today has 8 production lines and manufactures Kinder Schoko-Bons exclusively for the whole world.”
Other Kinder products such as Kinder Bueno, small Kinder Chocolate bars or larger Kinder Maxi are not affected by this recall, such as Kinder Country or the range of large flame eggs sold for Easter (eggs of 220 grams).
The recall was carried out following the reporting of several cases of salmonellosis in Europe, including in France. These cases led to a rapprochement with the Kinder factory in Arlon in Belgium, sick people, in particular children, having consumed Kinder chocolates in the previous days. In a press release published on Thursday April 7, Ferrero, a group which notably owns the Kinder and Nutella brands, gives new information on the investigation carried out in one of its factories and recognizes the presence of salmonella. “As part of our control systems, the presence of salmonella was detected on December 15, 2021 at the Arlon site in Belgium. After an in-depth investigation, the origin was identified as being a filter at the outlet of the two reservoirs of raw materials. Materials and finished products were blocked and were not delivered”, specifies the group.
It is about twenty cases of salmonellosis noted by the health authorities in France which caused this recall “as a precaution” first as a precaution then for a proven presence of salmonella in the Belgian factory of Arlon. Salmonella (or Salmonella) is a bacterium that can spread and multiply in the digestive system and cause salmonellosis: a food infection that manifests itself in gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach aches. Complications can arise and lead to a generalized infection with fever, typhoid and paratyphoid fever or even sepsis. Most cases of salmonellosis are mild, but depending on the cases and the profile of those infected, sometimes the disease is life-threatening. Symptoms appear on average after one to three days of incubation. A few cases of severe complications, leading to meningitis or septicemia, have already been observed in the past, in susceptible people.
It is therefore advisable to monitor children who have consumed Kinder chocolates within forty-eight hours after ingestion. People who have consumed the Kinder products mentioned above and who show symptoms are invited to consult their doctor without delay.
According to the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), which published a statement Tuesday, April 5, of the 21 cases currently listed, eight were hospitalized and all have now returned home. “The median age of cases is 4 years old”, detail the authorities. Infants and young children, but also the elderly, pregnant women or immunocompromised people are most at risk in the event of salmonellosis due to the risk of severe dehydration following symptoms of acute diarrhea.
If you have purchased any Kinder products listed above, the Department of Health asks that you “do not consume them and dispose of them immediately”. If you wish to obtain a refund, take a photo of the packaging as well as the product references present on this same packaging. You are invited to report it by calling the number provided by Ferrero or by writing to the email address provided:
- the telephone number set up by Ferrero is as follows: 0800 653 653 (freephone).
- the contact email address is: [email protected]
You will be asked for the expiry date and the barcode number in particular. This contact will also make it possible to initiate a request for reimbursement.