A man who bulk-purchased Kinder Eggs for his job as a children’s entertainer is now having to bin 1,000 of the chocolate treats over salmonella fears.
Radley Mason had the chocolate eggs stashed away ahead of an Easter hunt he was hosting this weekend.
Several Kinder products have been recalled after the chocolate was linked to over 100 cases of salmonella. The factory behind the cases has now been forced to close in the lead up to Easter.
Radley, 35, who runs Radtastic Theatre, had planned to hand out the eggs during the Little Red Riding Hood Easter train ride on the Spa Valley Railway, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
But manufacturer Ferrero has recalled thousands of Kinder Surprise eggs after a number of Kinder products were found to have been contaminated by a salmonella outbreak.
The outbreak, which was linked to buttermilk used in a Belgian factory, had led to more than 100 people becoming infected with the bacterial disease.
Those affected were primarily young children.
Radley told The Sun he was “shocked” when he was told by a company representative on the phone that his eggs would need to be disposed of.
It was “really good” he had found out about the salmonella, he said, though he was now on the hunt to find 1,000 more chocolate eggs by Friday.
He claimed he had been unable to get a refund from Ferrero.
All production at Kinder’s site in Belgium has been halted as a result of the outbreak.
A total of 156 Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium cases have been reported in 10 EU countries and the UK, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The majority of those sick were younger than 10 years old. Many sufferers have been hospitalised.
Symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.
Most cases will clear within a few days, but in some examples, symptoms can be severe and lead to hospital admission.
The Food Standards Agency in the UK said the Kinder eggs linked to the outbreak have all been manufactured at the same factory in Belgium.
Speaking after it was confirmed the factory was being shut, Belgian Agriculture Minister David Clarinval said: "Such a decision is never taken lightly, but the current circumstances make it necessary.
"The food security of our citizens can never be neglected."
Customers who've purchased one of the recalled products are being urged not to eat them.
Instead, you should contact the Ferrero consumer careline on consumers.uk@ferrero.com or 0330 053 8943 in the UK.
Shoppers will be offered a full refund, the chocolate manufacturer said.
The UK Food Standards Agency said: “Point of sale notices will be displayed in retail stores that are selling these products.
“These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products.“
Kinder chocolate recall: What products are being recalled?
Kinder Surprise
Pack size – 20g and 20g x 3
Best before – All dates up to and including 7 October 2022
Kinder Surprise
Pack size – 100g
Best before – All dates from 20 April 2022 up to and including 21 August 2022
Kinder Mini eggs
Pack size – 75g
Best before – All dates from 20 April 2022 up to and including 21 August 2022
Kinder Egg Hunt Kit
Pack size – 150g
Best before – All dates from 20 April 2022 up to and including 21 August 2022
Kinder Schokobons
Pack size – 200g
Best before – All dates from 20 April 2022 up to and including 21 August 2022
Other Ferrero products are not affected by the Kinder recall.
