A total of 150 cases of salmonella have been detected in nine European countries, two specialized European agencies said on Tuesday, pointing the finger at a Kinder chocolate factory in Belgium that has closed.
“Most cases are children under the age of 10, and many are hospitalized,” the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Food Safety Authority said in a joint statement.
As of April 8, nine countries had reported 119 confirmed and 31 probable cases, the statement said.
The cases were registered in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Chocolate products made at the factory in Arlon, southeastern Belgium, were found to contain salmonella, they added, urging countries to look for new cases.
The factory’s closure and health problems are a blow to its owner, the Italian confectionery giant Ferrero, which comes on the heels of the Easter weekend when its Kinder chocolates are coveted supermarket purchases.
Belgium launched an investigation on Monday.
Ferrero has issued a statement saying they “sincerely apologize” for the influx of salmonella cases.
The Belgian Food Safety Authority, AFSCA, has ordered the recall of the entire factory’s production of the company’s popular brand Kinder.
Ferrero is recalling Kinder products due to suspected salmonella contamination
Ferrero, which also makes Nutella and Tic Tac candies, recalled on Thursday certain varieties of its Kinder chocolates in the USA that had been made in Belgium.
This followed recalls earlier this week in the UK and several European countries over concerns over factory products.
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps in humans and is one of the most common foodborne infections.
Most cases are caused by eating food that is contaminated with feces from animals or humans.
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