The number of cases of salmonella in the UK linked to Kinder products has risen to 67, the UK Health Security Agency said. It said that, as of today, the number of cases linked to the outbreak had risen to 67, the majority of which are in children aged under five.
The UKHSA said it was continuing to work with the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, as well as international public health and food safety authorities, to investigate the ongoing outbreak of salmonella linked to certain Kinder products produced by the Ferrero Group.
The affected products include Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise 100g and Kinder Schokobons.
Dr Lesley Larkin, Surveillance Lead, Gastrointestinal Pathogens and Food Safety (One Health) at UKHSA, said: "We would like to thank all the parents who worked with us and other public health authorities in the UK to tell us what their children had eaten prior to becoming unwell – they allowed us to rapidly pinpoint a potential source, which facilitated food chain investigations both in this country and in Europe.
"We understand this has been a worrying time for these families, and their responses have helped to prevent more children being affected. Symptoms of salmonellosis typically resolve themselves within a few days. However, symptoms can be more severe, especially in young children, those who are pregnant and those with weakened immune systems.
"Anybody with concerns that they have symptoms of salmonellosis should contact their GP or call NHS 111. Salmonella can be spread from person to person as well as from food, so anyone affected should adhere to good hygiene practices, such as washing hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and avoiding handling food for others where possible, if you have symptoms."
Yesterday, European health officials investigating the outbreak said they suspected it was related to buttermilk used in a Belgian factory. A "Rapid Outbreak Assessment" released by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said they had matched the same salmonella strain currently infecting people to samples taken from a factory in Belgium last December.
The report said "the processing step involving buttermilk was identified as the possible contamination point", and hygiene measures were implemented. The report said the factory "distributed the implicated chocolate products across Europe and globally after negative Salmonella testing".
