Kinder chocolate under the chocolate brand “Ferrero” is loved by many children. However, on April 27, the WHO issued an announcement saying that 11 countries have recently reported cases of Salmonella infection suspected to be related to Kinder chocolate produced at the Ferrero Belgian factory. Related chocolates have been sold to at least 113 countries and regions, including China. The International Network of Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN) issued a global alert on April 10, initiating a global product recall.
The Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission specifically inquired about Ferrero Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. regarding the recall of related products.
The company stated that: Ferrero Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. did not import the products involved, but it did not rule out that consumers bought them through cross-border e-commerce, Taotao, entrepot trade and other channels. Consumers are advised to contact the original purchase channel for return processing.
The company recommends that consumers use the official Ferrero service hotline to provide the product name, origin and purchase channel to help consumers identify whether it is a recalled product. For products that cannot be confirmed, the company will require consumers to send clear pictures of the products to the customer’s mailbox for further verification and reply to consumers.
In addition, Ferrero also stated that the recall only involves Kinder products (the main product is Kinder Surprise) produced at the factory in Arlon, Belgium, not Kinder Joy, which is sold in China.
The entire line of Kinder products domestically produced in China and officially imported are not related to the factories involved and are not within the scope of this recall. Chocolates purchased by consumers in Ferrero or Kinder official stores such as Tmall and JD.com are fine.
If you purchase Kinder chocolates whose production place is Belgium through cross-border platforms or direct import, you can apply to the original store for processing, or call the official Ferrero hotline to provide relevant materials, and the staff will give further feedback.
According to a bulletin issued by the World Health Organization on April 27, the investigation showed that the United Kingdom reported a group of Salmonella infection cases to the organization on March 27. The source of infection can be traced back to December 2021 and January 2022. The Italian Ferrero Group in Arlon, Belgium The Kinder chocolate series produced by the factory.
According to WHO statistics, as of April 25, 11 countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States have reported 151 cases of suspected and consuming contaminated chocolate products. Relevant cases of Salmonella infection. Eighty-nine percent of those infected were children under the age of 10, and at least nine infected people were hospitalized.
According to the WHO, Salmonella is widespread in domestic and wild animals, and often infects humans by contaminating food. People infected with Salmonella may experience fever, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and other symptoms, usually lasting 2 to 7 days. Most infected people recover without special treatment, but for special groups such as children and the elderly, the associated symptoms of dehydration can become severe and life-threatening.