There are now 266 confirmed and 58 suspected cases of salmonella linked to Kinder eggs, European health officials have said. The outbreak has been reportedly happening throughout Europe, North America and Canada, with children making up the majority of those affected.
Stockholm's European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said 86.3% of the cases were among those aged 10 or younger - and, as far as it's able to tell from those European cases which have information available, more than 40 percent of them were admitted to hospital. No deaths have yet been reported, according to WalesOnline.
A Belgian factory making the chocolate treats was suspected to be the source of the problem, and its closure last month (April) - along with a global recall and withdrawal of potentially contaminated products from supermarkets - has "reduced the risk of exposure." However, the agency added that there was still scope for new cases to emerge given both the items' long shelf life and the possibility that consumers might still be storing them at home.
Read more: More stores including Co-op and Starbucks recall chicken products amid salmonella fears
In early April, food authorities in several European countries said that Italian company Ferrero had recalled specific batches of Kinder chocolate products due to suspicions of a connection between them and an outbreak of salmonella. The two outbreak strains, which are both multidrug-resistant, were identified in 10 of the 81 salmonella-positive samples taken in the Belgian plant in December and January.
These included buttermilk, semi-finished and finished products. The buttermilk was provided by an Italian supplier at which no salmonella had been detected.
"Based on the available evidence, salmonella has not been found in other plants," the agency said yesterday (Wednesday, may 18). A spokesperson added that it will continue to monitor the situation and encouraged close co-operation with food safety authorities in the countries affected.
