Food warnings and more Kinder recalls issued

Kinder chocolate eggs linked to a salmonella outbreak should not be consumed, health officials have warned after 70 cases were linked to this outbreak in the UK, with the majority of the cases in children under five.

The alert from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) includes Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise 100g and Kinder Schoko-Bon’s. Other Kinder products are not thought to be impacted.

The recall of certain Kinder chocolate products was extended to include all of those manufactured at the site since June, regardless of their best-before date.

The recall consist of the following sweet products, according to the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA):

• Kinder Surprise (pack size 20g):All “Best By” dates up to and including January 4, 2023
• Kinder Surprise (pack size 20g x 3 pack): All “Best By” dates up to and including January 4, 2023
• Kinder Surprise (pack size 100g):All “Best By” dates up to and including August 21, 2022
• Kinder Mini eggs (pack size 75g):All “Best By” dates up to and including August 21, 2022
• Kinder Egg Hunt Kit (pack size 150g):All “Best By” dates up to and including August 21, 2022
• Kinder Schokobons (pack sizes 70g, 200g and 320g):All dates up to and including January 4, 2023

A “Rapid Outbreak Assessment” released by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said it had matched the same salmonella strain currently infecting people to samples taken from a factory in Belgium last December.

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: “We’re reminding people of the recall this Bank Holiday weekend as it’s possible these products have been bought and stored as gifts, or for events such as Easter trails.

“It’s crucial these products are not eaten and are discarded. Salmonella infection can be severe and many children affected in this outbreak have been very unwell and hospitalised, so anyone giving chocolate products to friends or family should take extra care to ensure their Easter gifts are not amongst those products recalled.”

Emily Miles, chief executive of the FSA, said: “As we go into the Easter weekend, we are strongly urging consumers to follow the advice in the latest recall notice and to check any Kinder products they might have already bought against the list detailed in the notice, as they may pose a risk to health.

“If they do have any products on the list, they should not eat them and should discard them immediately.”

Apart from Kinder eggs, supermarkets have issued safety warnings regarding Fray Bentos Just Chicken Pie. Baxters Food Group Ltd is recalling Fray Bentos Just Chicken Pie because it may contain small pieces of plastic.

The possible presence of small pieces of plastic makes this product unsafe to eat.