Kinder recalls select chocolate in Czechia due to possible salmonella link

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported in the headline that Kinder Surprise eggs were under recall in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. To clarify, the Kinder Maxi Surprise (100 g) product has been withdrawn from the market.

The Italian confectionery manufacturer Ferrero is voluntarily withdrawing batches of its Kinder Maxi Surprise Eggs and several other candies, made in Belgium, from the Czech and Slovak markets. The company says that the recall is a precautionary measure in response to several reported cases of salmonella linked to the products in Western Europe.

Tests have so far not detected contamination in any Kinder chocolate. The company is withdrawing the chocolates from the market in advance of the Easter season.

"We are fully aware that Easter is approaching, where we see an increase in sales of these products and therefore, as an additional precautionary measure, we have decided to voluntarily recall products which were manufactured in the same facility in Belgium, within the same time frame,” the company said in a statement.

It will withdraw sales of eight types of Kinder confectionery made in Belgium with best-by dates between February 19 and September 27 this year. The list of recalled products for the Czech Republic and Slovakia can be found on the Kinder.cz website.

“We take food safety extremely seriously and we sincerely apologize for this matter. Our continued commitment to consumer care has driven our decision to extend the voluntary recall,” Ferrero said. 

Consumers who've purchased products from the list but have not yet eaten them should contact the company at ferrero.ceska@ferrero.com. Those who've purchased other Ferrero products including Kinder candies shouldn't be concerned, the company said.

Symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Its incidence in the Czech Republic and the European Union has remained stable in recent years and has not been changed by the coronavirus epidemic, said the State Institute of Public Health (SZÚ). 

"Since 2008, we have observed a stable trend in the Czech Republic with an average incidence of 105 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year," an SZÚ report states. Last year, there were 10,085 cases of salmonellosis in the Czech Republic, so there were about 94 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Ferrero took a similar step earlier this week in the UK. Reuters reports that the local health security agency (UKHSA) said that at least 63 cases of illness associated with these products had been detected, most of them in children under the age of 10.

Europe's health agency said on Wednesday it was investigating dozens of reported and suspected cases of salmonella linked with eating chocolate in at least nine countries.

According to Food Safety News, eight countries have reported more than 100 salmonella infections linked to Ferrero chocolate products.