Several Kinder brand products are being recalled for suspected salmonella. If the authorities take this food alert very seriously, it is because cases of poisoning with these bacteria can be potentially very severe, even fatal.
According to the Pasteur Institute, these enterobacteriaceae belong to the Salmonella family. They are mostly housed in the intestines of animals and are transmitted to humans through contaminated food.
Infections are mainly manifested by gastroenteritis one to two days after ingesting a bacterium. The infected person will then have symptoms of fever, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Salmonella are not transmitted through direct contact with a sick animal but through the consumption of raw, undercooked or contaminated food products after cooking. Meat, cold meats, eggs, raw milk and certain cheeses are the main vectors. But contamination can also occur through food of plant origin if it is not well washed or undercooked.
Two deaths in 2018
Each year, a large number of cases of poisoning are reported in France. According to the Institut Pasteur, in charge of microbiological monitoring of human salmonellosis, 14,742 people were affected in 2018. Nearly 5% of cases required hospitalization and two people died.
In healthy adults, salmonella poisoning will result in gastroenteritis for a few days. But in vulnerable subjects such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women or the immunocompromised, the infection can be very severe or even fatal. In more severe cases, antibiotics may be prescribed.
In order to limit the risk of poisoning, thorough cooking of the meat is recommended, at least 65°C for 5 to 6 minutes. For its part, Public Health France recommends washing your hands well with soap after going to the toilet, after changing your child, and before cooking.