The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today advises that Ferrero is recalling additional batches of Kinder Surprise 20g and Kinder Surprise 20g x 3, due to the possible presence of Salmonella. The investigation into a food poisoning outbreak of Salmonella, which is affecting Ireland, the UK and a number of other European countries is ongoing. To date, there have been ten cases in Ireland with the same strain of Salmonella responsible for the UK outbreak. A number of these Irish cases have involved young children, all of whom have fully recovered. The FSAI is warning consumers who may have the recalled products at home not to eat them.

This food recall today relates to additional batches of Kinder Surprise 20g and Kinder Surprise 20g x 3 listed below:

• Kinder Surprise (20g) – All best before dates up to and including 7th October 2022
• Kinder Surprise (20g x 3) – All best before dates up to and including 7th October 2022

Batches Previously Recalled in FSAI Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 1):

• Kinder Mini Eggs (75g) – All best before dates between 20 April 2022 and 21 August 2022
• Kinder Egg Hunt Kit (150g) – All best before dates between 20 April 2022 and 21 August 2022
• Kinder Surprise (100g) – All best before dates between 20 April 2022 and 21 August 2022
• Kinder Schokobons (200g) – All best before dates between 20 April 2022 and 21 August 2022

FAQ’s on Ferrero Recall

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) advises consumers not to eat some Ferrero Kinder products that have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak, following a food recall. Consumers who may have the recalled products at home are advised not to eat the affected products.

Q. Why are these products being recalled? 
A. A food recall of some Kinder products is underway by the manufacturer, Ferrero, due to some implicated products being linked to a current outbreak of Salmonella infection. To date, there have been ten cases in Ireland with the same strain of Salmonella as that responsible for the UK outbreak. A number of these Irish cases have involved young children, all of whom have fully recovered.

Q. What is a food recall? 
A. A food recall is the removal of an unsafe food from the market when it may have reached the consumer, and also the notification of the consumer about the incident. When a hazard in food has been identified that may cause an adverse health effect in those that consume the food, the FSAI will issue a national food alert on the FSAI website to notify a food recall.

Q. What is a food alert? 
A. Where a hazard in food has been identified, the FSAI issues food alerts to let consumers, food businesses, the food inspectorate and laboratories know about the problems associated with that food and the action to be taken.

 Q. Where can I find specific information on the products being recalled? 
A. Further to FSAI Food Alert 2022.23, Ferrero is recalling additional Kinder products listed in FSAI Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 1) and Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 2) due to the possible presence of Salmonella. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the implicated batches.
 

Q. What should I do if I have these products in my home? 
A. The FSAI is warning consumers who may have any of the products at home not to eat the affected products. Ferrero has now extended its list of products that are being recalled. If anyone has any of the affected products at home, we are advising them not to eat them. We know that many of these Kinder products are popular at this time of year with Easter approaching. We urge consumers to check at home if they have any of the products and if they do, to ensure that they are not eaten.

Q. Are other Ferrero Kinder products affected?  
A. Only the specific products listed in FSAI Food Alert 2022.23 and the additional Kinder products listed in FSAI Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 1) and Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 2) are known to be affected.

Q. What should I do if I have other Ferrero Kinder products in my home not related to this food recall? 
A. No further action is required if you have other Ferrero Kinder products in your home that are not listed in FSAI Food Alert 2022.23 or FSAI Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 1) or Food Alert 2022.23 (Update 2).

Q. What is Salmonellosis? 
A. Salmonellosis is an illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica. While more than 2,460 serotypes of S. enterica have been identified, serotypes Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) and Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) have accounted for the majority of human infections in recent years.

Q. What are the symptoms? 
A. People infected with Salmonella typically develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but this can range between 6 and 72 hours. The most common symptom is diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Diarrhoea can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have more severe illness.

Q. How is infection with Salmonella diagnosed?
A simple laboratory test on a sample of stool (bowel motion) can usually confirm the diagnosis. Your doctor may order this test if they suspect Salmonella infection. It is important to diagnose it because of the likelihood of spread. People who prepare food, the elderly, and children who are not properly toilet trained are at greater risk of spreading Salmonella. In the case of such people, your doctor may decide to send off a sample of stool to the lab for testing.

Q. How is infection with Salmonella treated?
Salmonella infections usually resolve in 4 to 7 days and often do not require treatment unless the patient becomes severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. People with severe diarrhoea may require rehydration, often with intravenous fluids. Antibiotics are rarely necessary and are reserved for use in the very ill.

Q. How do people become infected with Salmonella? 
A. Salmonella live in the intestines of people and animals. People can get Salmonella infection from a variety of sources, including

• Eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water
• Touching infected animals, their faeces, or their environment
• Coming in close contact with people who have a Salmonella infection

Q. Who is more likely to get an infection and severe illness? 
Children under 5 years old are the most likely to get a Salmonella infection.

Infants, adults aged 65 and older, and people with a weakened immune system are the most likely to have severe infections.

People taking certain medicines (for example, stomach acid reducers) are at increased risk of infection.

Q. What do I do if I think my child has become sick from eating this product? 
A. The likelihood of any individual child becoming sick as a result of eating this product is extremely low. Only a tiny percentage of children who have eaten this product over the last few weeks has developed Salmonella infection. The symptoms of Salmonella infection in children (nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea) are mild in the majority of cases, and can be managed at home. If your child develops more severe symptoms such as diarrhoea with blood in it, uncontrolled vomiting, a high temperature or a nasty headache, you should seek medical advice. It is important to remember that the great majority of children who develop vomiting and diarrhoea are very unlikely to have Salmonella infection, and are much more likely to have a simple viral gastroenteritis, which can be treated simply with paracetamol and fluids by mouth.

Q. How is this outbreak being investigated? 
A. The FSAI, together with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the Health Service Executive (HSE), is investigating the current food poisoning outbreak of Salmonella which is affecting Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK) and a number of other European countries. The FSAI is also liaising with the Department of Health.

Q. How many people have been ill? 
A. To date, there are ten cases in Ireland with the same type of Salmonella as the UK cases that were linked to this outbreak. A number of these cases in Ireland have involved young children, all of whom have fully recovered.

Q. How was the outbreak identified? 
The outbreak was first identified following an investigation by the UK Health Security Agency, the UK Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE in the Republic of Ireland.

Q. How will investigations continue into the source of the outbreak? 
A. The FSAI is working closely with the Department of Health and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE, as well as the relevant agencies in the UK and Europe. The investigation into the outbreak is ongoing and the FSAI will provide further updates, as necessary.

Q. How many cases of salmonellosis do we typically have per year in Ireland? 
A. There were 219 cases of Salmonellosis reported in Ireland in 2020. Further information on the number of Salmonella cases reported in Ireland can be found in the National Zoonoses Report.

Q. Where can I find additional information on illness from Salmonella? 
A. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE provides additional information in its factsheet on salmonellosis.  

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