“As of April 8, 2022, 150 confirmed and probable cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium had been reported” in nine European countries, reveal two European surveillance agencies on Tuesday. The responsibility of a “Belgian production plant” is pointed out, but the Ferrero group is not mentioned by name.
However, this press release comes just a few days after the closure of the Kinder site in Arlon (Belgium), which was closed after being identified as the source of salmonella contamination.
However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) claim to have “identified chocolate-based products manufactured by a company in its Belgian production plant as being the origin of the outbreak of Salmonella”.
In their press release, the two agencies specify that the infections were detected “mainly in children under 10 years old” and reported in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, the Country -Bas and Sweden.
These European experts believe that additional investigations are “necessary to identify the exact source and the precise moment of the contamination”. They further recommend looking into “the broader use of contaminated raw materials in other factories.”
The bacterium already detected in mid-December
Monday, April 11, the Belgian justice has precisely opened an investigation in order to establish possible responsibilities within the factory of Arlon. The Belgian Food Safety Agency (Afsca) criticizes him in particular for his lack of transparency concerning an incident that occurred in mid-December.
The EFSA and the ECDC themselves refer to it in their press release, indicating that “S. Typhimurium had been detected in a tank of buttermilk at the Belgian establishment of the company in question during its first checks”. The strengthening of hygiene measures did not prevent the distribution of contaminated chocolate products in Europe and the United States.
From now on, and since the link was established between Kinder products and the cases of salmonellosis, all chocolates manufactured in the Arlon factory are subject to a recall, regardless of their batch number or their expiry date.