Production has been halted in the world’s largest chocolate factory after salmonella was identified.
The huge chocolate factory run by Swiss giant Barry Callebaut in the Belgian town of Wieze supplies products to global brands including Hershey, Mondelez (which owns Cadbury) and Nestle.
The Barry Callebaut company said that it shut down all production lines as a precaution while the contamination is investigated.
The salmonella was detected on Monday, and all chocolate products made at the plant were placed on hold pending investigation, the company said.
It identified lecithin, an emulsifier routinely used in making chocolates, as the source of the contamination.
The company said it informed Belgian food safety authorities and is contacting customers who might have contaminated products in their possession.
It is unclear whether any consumers have reported being made sick by the chocolates.
