The Ferrero affair never ceases to be talked about. According to information revealed by the NGO Foodwatch, the British authorities informed the Italian group of the presence of salmonella in their products on March 23, ie twelve days before the company recalled its products in France.
It is this delay that challenges the NGO today. “The European alert network informed the Member States on March 25. […] Why this delay when we are talking about a serious public health problem?” Asks Foodwatch in a press release.
The NGO Foodwatch also points out certain inconsistencies of the Italian group. On April 4, the recall concerned only a few Kinder batches before being extended four days later to all batches.
To date, Ferrero France has admitted to having found traces of the bacteria in the Arlon factory in Belgium, in mid-December. The factory was closed by the authorities. A filter at the outlet of two raw material tanks was implicated. The group apologized and acknowledged internal failings.
Salmonella at the origin of 21 contaminations in France
The affair broke out a few days before the Easter holidays. As of April 8, a total of 150 cases of salmonellosis have been detected in 9 European countries. In France, 21 contaminations, including 8 hospitalizations, have been counted.
Salmonellosis, caused by a bacterium called salmonella, causes symptoms similar to those of sometimes acute gastroenteritis