A recall of Kinder Surprise eggs has been extended to include five more products, including Kinder Mini Eggs, over fears they could be contaminated with Salmonella.
It comes after it was revealed this week that 63 people in the UK, mostly young children, had become ill due to the common bacteria in an outbreak linked to Kinder Surprise eggs.
Chocolate giant Ferrero, which owns the Kinder brand, swiftly recalled a batch of the eggs with best before dates of between 11 July 2022 and 7 October 2022, citing health concerns.
That operation has now been extended to include a number of other Kinder chocolate products. The 20g Kinder Surprise eggs, as well as three-packs of those eggs, with best before dates of up to and including 7 October 2022, have all been recalled.
Meanwhile, the following products, with best before dates of between 20 April and 21 August 2022, are also being bought back: Kinder Surprise (100g), Kinder Mini eggs (75g), Kinder Egg Hunt Kit (150g), and Kinder Schokobons (200g).
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said “to reduce the risk of any further illness, consumers should not eat the products listed in the recall alert and they/the parent or guardians of children should follow the risk advice within it”.
Common symptoms of Salmonella include fever, vomiting diarrhoea and stomach cramps. All usually resolve themselves within a few days.
However, symptoms can be more severe and lead to hospital admission, especially in the very young and those with weakened immune systems, which is why officials have asked customers to err on the side of caution.
Tina Potter, the FSA’s head of incidents, said the agency welcomed “the precautionary approach being taken by Ferrero” and insisted it was “really important” for customers to follow the advice not to eat the recalled products, “to avoid the risk of becoming ill with Salmonella poisoning”.
Ms Potter added that with Easter coming up, parents may have already bought some of these products and not realise it. “So we would urge parents and guardians of children to check if any products already in their home are affected by this recall,” she said.
As well as the 63 cases in Britain, there were other instances of Kinder customers becoming ill this week in Europe including in Ireland, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, according to reports. The eggs are made in Belgium.
No deaths have been reported in the UK but most cases reported involve children aged five and under.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and Public Health Agency Northern Ireland are leading the investigation.
Dr Lesley Larkin, the surveillance lead for gastrointestinal pathogens and food safety at UKHSA, said the probe was working “to ensure that the risk to the public is minimised”.
She advised: “Salmonella can be spread from person to person, 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.”
