Brussels, April 6 / BNA / The European Health Agency said, on Wednesday, that it is investigating dozens of reported and suspected cases of salmonella linked to eating chocolate in at least nine countries.
Italian confectionery group Ferrero pulled several batches of Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs and other products from Spanish shelves on Wednesday, following similar moves in Britain and Ireland on Monday.
Ferrero called the recalls a precaution and said on Wednesday that none of the Kinder products that have been put on the market have been tested positive for salmonella, Reuters reports.
“The outbreak is characterized by a high proportion of children being admitted to hospital, some with severe clinical symptoms such as bloody diarrhoea,” the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said.
The agency did not mention Ferrero or any other company in a statement, but it cautioned on Wednesday that the cases reported were mostly among children under the age of 10.
The agency later said that Kinder chocolate eggs were involved, but it did not clarify whether the problem was exclusively with these products.
The Swiss confectionery company, Nestle, said it did not recall any products in this context. Rival Lindt & Sprungli has not been affected by the current health crisis.
Britain has the highest number of accidents with the number of confirmed cases reaching 63 as of April 5, the center said, adding that other countries with probable or confirmed cases are France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.
The European Union’s health agency said it was investigating 134 confirmed or probable cases of salmonella with the European Food Safety Authority.
The European agency said product recalls have been launched in several countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and Britain.
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